A 10-day ceasefire came into effect in Lebanon on Friday, marking a potential pause in fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and raising hopes of progress toward broader efforts to extend a truce involving Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of intense conflict.
US President Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. However, Israel has not been engaged in direct hostilities with Lebanon as a state, but with Iran-backed Hezbollah forces operating inside the country, which were not formally included in the agreement, reports AP/UNB.
Shortly after midnight, celebratory gunfire echoed across Beirut as residents fired into the air to mark the start of the truce.
Despite official warnings, displaced families began moving towards southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, with authorities urging caution until the durability of the ceasefire becomes clear.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had agreed to the ceasefire in order to advance peace efforts with Lebanon, but stressed that Israeli forces would not withdraw from their positions.
Israeli troops have been engaged in heavy fighting with Hezbollah along the border as they pushed into southern Lebanon to establish what officials describe as a “security zone.” Netanyahu said this zone would extend 10 kilometres (six miles) into Lebanese territory, adding: “That is where we are, and we are not leaving.”
Hezbollah said that Israel’s continued presence on Lebanese territory gives Lebanon the right to resist, warning that its response would depend on future developments — a position that could complicate the implementation of the truce.
The US State Department said under the agreement, Israel retains the right to defend itself “at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks,” but would otherwise refrain from offensive operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian and military infrastructure.
The language of the deal suggests Israel may still maintain wide operational freedom, similar to previous arrangements, while Hezbollah has said it will respond to any Israeli strikes.
The fate of around one million displaced people remains uncertain, with no clear timeline for safe return.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli shelling continued in the villages of Khiam and Dibbine roughly 30 minutes after the ceasefire began. The Israeli military said it was reviewing those reports.
Hezbollah continued firing rockets at northern Israeli towns up until the final moments before the truce, with air raid sirens sounding in several border communities shortly before midnight.
Flurry of diplomacy
The agreement came after a meeting between Israel’s and Lebanon’s ambassadors in Washington and a flurry of subsequent phone calls from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a White House official.
They were the first direct diplomatic talks between the two countries in decades. Hezbollah had opposed direct talks between Lebanon and Israel.
Trump spoke Wednesday evening with Netanyahu, who agreed to a ceasefire with certain terms, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Rubio then called Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, who got on board. Trump then spoke with Aoun, and again with Netanyahu.
The State Department worked with both governments to formulate a memorandum of understanding for the truce.
Trump extends White House invitation
Lebanon has insisted on a ceasefire to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah before engaging in more talks, while vowing to commit to disarming the group.
Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Lebanon remains deeply divided over diplomatic engagement with Israel.
Trump also invited the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to the White House for what he said would be “the first meaningful talks” between the countries since 1983.
“Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly,” Trump wrote on social media.
Lebanon and Israel signed an agreement in 1983 saying Lebanon would formally recognize Israel, and Israel would withdraw from Lebanon. The deal fell apart during Lebanon’s civil war and was formally rescinded a year later.
A Hezbollah official said the ceasefire was a result of Iran’s negotiations with the U.S., in which Iran had insisted Lebanon be included in its own ceasefire, and came about through efforts by mediator Pakistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Pakistan army chief meets with Iranian parliament speaker
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s army chief met Thursday with Iran’s parliament speaker as part of international efforts to press for an extension to a ceasefire that has paused almost seven weeks of war between Israel, the U.S. and Iran.
It was unclear whether the frantic diplomacy could lead to a lasting deal before the ceasefire ends next week. The Iran war has killed thousands of people and upended global markets by disrupting the flow of oil.
Iranian state television did not provide details on the meeting between Pakistani Army Gen. Asim Munir and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, his country’s chief negotiator.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan, a key mediator after hosting the talks between the U.S. and Iran that authorities said helped narrow differences between the sides.
The White House said any further talks regarding Iran would likely take place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, though no decision had been made on whether to resume negotiations. The fragile ceasefire is holding despite a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and Iranian counter-threats to target regional ports across the Red Sea.
Trump suggested the ceasefire could be extended.
“If we’re close to a deal, would I extend?” Trump said in an exchange with reporters. “Yeah, I would do that.”
The war has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have pounded military and civilian infrastructure. Oil prices have fallen amid hopes for an end to fighting, and U.S. stocks on Wednesday surpassed records set in January.
Officials say US and Iran are making progress
Even as the US blockade on Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats strained the ceasefire, regional officials reported progress, telling AP the United States and Iran had an “in-principle agreement” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.
But tensions simmered.
The commander of Iran’s joint military command, Ali Abdollahi, threatened to halt trade in the region if the U.S. does not lift its naval blockade, and a newly appointed military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he does not support extending the ceasefire.
Mediators seek compromise on sticking points
The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen US service members have also been killed.
Mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points: Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.
Since the war began, Iran has curtailed maritime traffic through the strait, which a fifth of global oil transited through in peacetime. Tehran’s effective closure of the strait sent oil prices skyrocketing, raising the cost of fuel, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.
