Newsletters
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at 9 p.m. GMT Thursday, with thousands of displaced residents immediately moving toward southern Lebanon despite official warnings.
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed "a historic day for Lebanon," while the Lebanese army reported several Israeli violations within hours of the truce beginning, Israel's military said it remained on "high alert" to resume strikes.
Trump posted the announcement on Truth Social Thursday afternoon, saying he had spoken to both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"I just had excellent conversations with the highly respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel. These two leaders have agreed that in order to achieve peace between their countries, they will formally begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 P.M. EST," Trump wrote.
He later posted on Truth Social, "May have been a historic day for Lebanon. Good things are happening!!!"
He also said he expected Netanyahu and Aoun to visit the White House "over the next four or five days."
Earlier Friday, Trump said he hoped Hezbollah "acts nicely and well during this important period in time. It will be a GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!"
Multiple U.S., Western and Arab officials told Middle East Eye (MEE) that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressed Trump in a private phone call on Wednesday on the importance of a Lebanon ceasefire, directly linking it to the kingdom's priority of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
"Mohammed bin Salman wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened, and he told Trump that a Lebanon ceasefire is critical to achieving that goal and ending the war," a Western official familiar with the conversation told MEE.
Several officials attributed Thursday's announcement to Riyadh's lobbying.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan may meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio next week, with Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman also potentially attending. Saudi officials have been circulating a negotiation paper.
Shortly after the ceasefire took effect at midnight local time, the Lebanese army told residents of the south not to return, citing "several Israeli acts of aggression" including sporadic shelling targeting villages.
Israel's military did not immediately respond to requests for comment but said it had struck over 380 "Hezbollah terror organization targets in southern Lebanon" before the truce and remained on "high alert."
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the ceasefire offered an opportunity for a "historic peace agreement" with Beirut but maintained that Hezbollah disarmament remained a precondition.
Israel also said it would maintain a 10-kilometer security zone in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the truce as a "key Lebanese demand we have pursued since the very first day of the war."
Lebanon's president had reportedly rejected a direct call with Netanyahu before the deal was announced.
Packed cars filled Lebanon's coastal highway before dawn, heading southward, with residents crossing at sunrise the remains of bridges bombed during the war. In Sidon, car caravans waved flags celebrating the temporary truce.
Traffic accumulated kilometers from the only bridge connecting the coastal region south of the Litani River as people waited to return.
"The people's love for their lands and houses pushed them to go back there despite the fire threats," said displaced resident Alaa Damash, who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A housewife in Beirut, Jamal Shehab, 61, said: "We are very happy. We are tired of war and we want safety and peace."
At least seven people were killed and more than 30 wounded in an Israeli strike on Ghazieh on Thursday before the ceasefire took effect, Lebanon's health ministry said.
A Hezbollah lawmaker told AFP the group would "cautiously adhere" to the truce if Israel stopped attacks.
Ibrahim al-Moussawi thanked Iran, saying "the ceasefire would not have happened without Iran considering the ceasefire as equal to closing the Strait of Hormuz."
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would approach the ceasefire "with caution" and that Iran and Hezbollah would "remain together until the full realization of victory."
He also thanked Pakistan and Army Chief Asim Munir for their mediation role.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire and praised U.S. efforts, urging full respect of the truce and compliance with international law.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it a "relief" and called for "a path to permanent peace."
EU Council President Antonio Costa, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the UAE, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Japan, France and others all welcomed the deal and called on all parties to honor it.
The ceasefire follows the first Israeli-Lebanese diplomatic talks in decades, a trilateral meeting on Tuesday at the U.S. State Department between Rubio and the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors.
Since March 2, Israel's operations in Lebanon have killed 2,196 people and injured 7,185, displacing more than 1 million, according to official figures.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
