10‑day Israel–Lebanon ceasefire begins

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight Friday in Lebanon, pausing fighting that had intensified along the border this month. (apnews.com) President Donald Trump announced the deal on Thursday, saying it would begin at 5 p.m. Eastern time, or midnight in Lebanon and Israel. Reuters reported the agreement was framed as a 10-day pause to allow negotiations toward a more permanent security arrangement. (apnews.com) (usnews.com) The truce covers fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group based in Lebanon, not a full peace treaty between the two countries. Israel and Lebanon have technically remained in a state of war for decades, and direct talks only resumed this month under U.S. pressure. (nytimes.com) (vpm.org) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli troops would stay in their current positions in southern Lebanon during the pause. Newsweek, citing Netanyahu’s video statement, said Israel plans to hold an expanded buffer zone about 10 kilometers deep. (newsweek.com) Lebanese officials publicly welcomed the ceasefire, while many displaced residents treated it cautiously after weeks of strikes and shelling. Al Jazeera reported people in Beirut and southern Lebanon were weighing whether it was safe to return home so soon after repeated escalations. (aljazeera.com 1) (aljazeera.com 2) The pause also fits into a wider regional push to keep the separate Iran-Israel-U.S. ceasefire from collapsing. The New York Times and Reuters both said diplomats saw the Lebanon front as one of the main obstacles to broader talks involving Iran. (nytimes.com) (usnews.com) Air travel is already reacting to the calmer conditions around Israel. National Today reported Delta, United, American, Air France, Lufthansa and Swiss were planning to resume regular service to Tel Aviv in the coming months, while regional carriers had already begun restoring some flights. (nationaltoday.com) (globes.co.il) The Israel Airports Authority said nine foreign carriers were expected to resume Tel Aviv routes this week, starting with limited schedules rather than a full return to normal operations. That cautious rollout reflects how fragile the ceasefire still looks on the ground. (timesofisrael.com) (marketwatch.com) The next test comes before the 10 days run out: whether the pause is extended, whether troops move, and whether cross-border fire stays stopped long enough for negotiators to turn a temporary truce into a longer deal. (usnews.com) (apnews.com)