Washington DC - Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a US official said Friday, after deadly new exchanges in Lebanon put the fragile deal to end the Middle East war under immediate strain.

The truce that began at 4 PM local time (1300 GMT) was brokered by US and Qatari mediators following talks with Israel and Iran, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A Gulf diplomat also confirmed the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire to AFP.

The Lebanon clashes had threatened the deal between Washington and Tehran to end the war, after the postponement of planned talks in Switzerland featuring Vice President JD Vance.

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President Donald Trump and his administration have shown growing frustration recently with Israel, Washington's ally and partner in the Iran war.

Trump on Thursday called for a "complete ceasefire on all fronts" including from Israel.

He has also been increasingly critical of the high death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

"When two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly they could do a better job," Trump said at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday.