Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire to end hostilities, the Trump administration has announced, as the US looks to overcome one of the largest barriers to reaching a broader deal to end the war with Iran.

The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of fire from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia and the evacuation of all its operatives from the country’s south, a joint statement released by the US state department said after negotiations in Washington.

The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to create “pilot zones” in which the Lebanese armed forces “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”.

A Hezbollah official told the AFP news agency on Tuesday that the group would “not accept a partial ceasefire”, and the group has not been party to the talks.

A truce to halt the fighting in Lebanon was meant to take hold on 17 April, but hostilities continued, with both sides justifying their ongoing attacks by the other’s alleged violations.

The meetings in Washington were the fourth round of direct talks by Lebanese and Israeli diplomats since fighting erupted on 2 March, when Hezbollah renewed attacks against Israel in support of Iran.

Wednesday’s development came after continued cross-border attacks earlier in the day, with Hezbollah saying it targeted Israeli troops, and Israeli strikes killing at least nine people in southern Lebanon.