Israel-Lebanon 10-day ceasefire takes effect as diplomats push to extend Iran truce

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon went into effect Friday, pausing fighting between Israeli forces and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group as diplomats pushed to extend a broader truce between the United States, Iran and Israel before it expires next week.

Barrages of celebratory gunshots rang out across Beirut just after midnight as residents marked the start of the truce. Displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs despite official warnings not to return until the ceasefire’s durability became clear.

The Lebanon truce marks the first direct diplomatic contact between Israel and Lebanon in decades, but its durability — and that of the wider Iran war ceasefire, which has paused nearly seven weeks of fighting that has killed more than 5,100 people — depends on whether Pakistan-led mediation can bridge three sticking points: Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and war damages compensation.

President Donald Trump, who announced the agreement, said in a social media post: “May have been a historic day for Lebanon. Good things are happening!!!”

Netanyahu: troops stay, security zone remains

Despite the truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli troops would not leave southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have pushed in to establish what officials described as a security zone extending 10 kilometers (6 miles) inside the country.

“That is where we are, and we are not leaving,” Netanyahu said in a video address, adding that he agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon.

Hezbollah said Israel’s continued military presence “grants Lebanon and its people the right to resist it, and this matter will be determined based on how developments unfold” — a stance that could complicate the truce.

Terms and early violations

The U.S. State Department said the agreement allows Israel to defend itself “at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks,” but that Israel “will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, and other state targets” otherwise.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported Israeli shelling continued in the villages of Khiam and Dibbine approximately 30 minutes after the truce took effect. Israel’s military said it was looking into the reports. Hezbollah kept firing rockets at northern Israeli border towns until minutes before midnight.

First direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades

The agreement followed the first direct diplomatic talks between Israel’s and Lebanon’s ambassadors in Washington in decades — talks Hezbollah had long opposed, according to AP. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the deal came together through phone calls involving Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio with both Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Trump also invited the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to the White House for what he described as “the first meaningful talks” between the countries since 1983. Lebanon and Israel signed an agreement in 1983 in which Lebanon would have formally recognized Israel in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal; that deal fell apart during Lebanon’s civil war and was formally rescinded a year later.

“Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly,” Trump wrote on social media.

Pakistan leads push to extend Iran ceasefire

The Lebanon truce is linked to the broader Iran war ceasefire, which has paused the conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said Iran had insisted that Lebanon be included in its negotiations with the United States, and that Pakistan played a key mediating role.

Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, met Thursday with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, described by AP as Iran’s chief negotiator, as part of international efforts to press for an extension before the ceasefire expires next week. Iranian state television did not provide details on the meeting, and Pakistan offered no immediate comment.

The White House said any further Iran talks would likely take place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, though no decision had been made on whether to resume negotiations.

Trump signaled openness to an extension. “If we’re close to a deal, would I extend? Yeah, I would do that,” he told reporters.

Regional officials told AP on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations that the United States and Iran had reached an “in-principle agreement” to extend the ceasefire to allow more time for diplomacy.

Tensions remain on both sides

Significant opposition persists. Iran’s joint military command chief, Ali Abdollahi, threatened to halt trade across the region if the United States does not lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports. A newly appointed military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he does not support extending the ceasefire.

The fragile truce is holding despite the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and Iranian counter-threats to target regional ports across the Red Sea, according to AP.

Death toll and Hormuz disruption

The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states and 13 U.S. service members, according to AP.

Mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points: Iran’s nuclear program, the status of 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 carried about a fifth of global oil in peacetime. Tehran’s effective closure sent oil prices sharply higher, raising the cost of fuel, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.