Jerusalem/New York, April 17: A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday, following diplomatic efforts led by the United States to halt escalating hostilities linked to the broader Iran conflict.
The truce, announced earlier by US President Donald Trump after consultations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, is aimed at pausing more than a month of intensified violence involving Iran-backed Hezbollah. The ceasefire began at 5 p.m. Washington time, corresponding to 2:30 a.m. Friday in India.
The agreement seeks to contain a volatile front that escalated after Israel expanded military operations targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. Although Lebanon is not formally at war with Israel, Hezbollah’s control over parts of southern Lebanon and its attacks on Israeli territory have triggered sustained retaliatory strikes.
According to Israeli military statements, more than 380 Hezbollah-linked targets, including militants, launchers and operational centres, were struck in southern Lebanon in the final hours before the ceasefire took effect. Israel’s emergency service reported that rockets were launched by Hezbollah during this period, injuring three people.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel would maintain a 10-kilometre security zone in southern Lebanon during the ceasefire, citing security requirements. He reiterated demands for Hezbollah’s disarmament and described the moment as an opportunity to explore a broader peace framework.
The sustainability of the ceasefire is expected to hinge on Hezbollah’s response. While the group is not formally a party to the agreement, reports indicate it may suspend attacks if Israel exercises restraint. Hezbollah had intensified its operations following the escalation of tensions involving Iran.
Lebanon, which has struggled to control Hezbollah’s actions, has faced significant consequences from Israeli strikes. Lebanese authorities report that more than 2,000 people have been killed and over one million displaced, with attacks extending into Beirut.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf publicly supported the ceasefire, stating that a halt in hostilities in Lebanon holds equal importance to a ceasefire involving Iran.
The ceasefire follows diplomatic engagement in Washington earlier this week, where ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon held discussions facilitated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting marked the first direct diplomatic contact between the two sides since the 1980s.
Trump has indicated plans to host Netanyahu and Aoun at the White House in the coming weeks to discuss a longer-term peace arrangement. He also tasked senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance and military leadership, to work towards sustaining the ceasefire.
The United Nations has welcomed the development, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressing support for efforts to stabilise the situation. The UN has urged both sides to move towards a permanent ceasefire and a broader resolution to the conflict.
UN peacekeeping forces stationed in southern Lebanon, including 642 Indian personnel, remain deployed along the border and have previously come under fire during the hostilities.
