10‑day Israel‑Lebanon ceasefire

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight in Beirut, pausing weeks of fighting while both governments prepare for talks. (pbs.org) Donald Trump said on April 16 that the truce would begin at 5 p.m. Eastern time after Israeli and Lebanese officials met in Washington. The White House said the two countries would work toward “lasting peace” and security along their shared border. (cnbc.com) The deal pauses fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group based in Lebanon, even though Hezbollah was not a formal signatory. Gunfire rang out in Beirut after midnight as residents celebrated, while families displaced by the war started heading south despite official warnings to wait. (pbs.org) Israel said its troops will stay in southern Lebanon during the truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces are holding a security zone that extends 10 kilometers, or about 6 miles, into Lebanese territory. (pbs.org) The text released by the U.S. State Department says Lebanon’s government, with international support, will take “meaningful steps” to stop Hezbollah and other groups from attacking Israel. It also says Lebanon’s official security forces have “exclusive responsibility” for national defense, language tied to Beirut’s push since 2025 to disarm Hezbollah. (usnews.com) The same text gives Israel the right to act against “planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks,” but bars offensive military operations against Lebanese targets by land, air, or sea. Reuters reported that the agreement does not require an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. (usnews.com) That gap is one reason diplomats are treating the pause cautiously. Hezbollah said any continued Israeli presence on Lebanese land gives Lebanon and its people “the right to resist,” while Lebanon’s government has insisted on a ceasefire before any direct negotiations with Israel. (vpm.org) The United Nations said the latest round of fighting killed more than 2,100 people and displaced more than 1 million. The U.N. secretary-general welcomed the ceasefire on April 17 and urged all sides to respect it. (news.un.org) The truce is also tied to a wider U.S. push to keep separate negotiations with Iran alive after the regional war that began on February 28. Trump said the 10-day period could be extended if talks progress. (cnbc.com) For now, the ceasefire offers a fixed 10-day window and little certainty beyond that. Whether it lasts will depend on what happens first in southern Lebanon: withdrawals, enforcement by the Lebanese state, or another exchange of fire. (usnews.com)