June 4 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Thursday as oil prices fell, but investors remained cautious amid uncertainty over whether the latest developments in the Middle East would lead to a lasting peace agreement.

Brent crude futures fell 2.8 percent to $95.06 a barrel after Israel and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire.

However, hopes for a wider de-escalation were dashed after Hezbollah rejected the agreement, and Israel said it would not withdraw its forces from Lebanon, complicating US President Donald Trump's efforts to reach a peace agreement with Iran.

Investors continued to search for stronger signs of potential progress after several rounds of negotiations failed.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.5 percent higher at 624.45 points, driven by gains in the healthcare sector, with shares of French drugmaker Apifax jumping 17.8 percent, recovering from losses earlier in the week.

The European index is still heading towards a slight weekly decline as the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for global oil shipments, remains almost completely closed.

Data from the London Stock Exchange Group showed that continued downward pressure on prices has led to market expectations that the European Central Bank will raise interest rates by 25 basis points at next week's meeting.

Shares of chipmakers declined, with Infineon Technologies down 3.4 percent and STMicroelectronics down 2.6 percent after U.S. chipmaker Broadcom reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue.

Software and IT stocks continued their recovery after a sharp sell-off triggered by concerns about AI-related disruptions. Shares of Capgemini, Nemecq Group, Dassault Systèmes, SAP, and Supra Steria rose between 6.39% and 8.79%.

Shares in British financial services firms with investments in China fell after Chinese media reported that mainland residents face stricter restrictions on opening offshore accounts at major Hong Kong banks. HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Prudential shares dropped between 1.8 percent and 7.6 percent.

Shares in Remy Cointreau rose 9.8 percent after the company’s chief executive, Frank Marelli, laid out a three-year transformation plan, saying the beverage group aimed to increase its operating profit by about 100 million euros ($116 million).

Puma's stock rose 4.5 percent after Citigroup upgraded its recommendation for the stock from "neutral" to "buy".