US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, set to take effect from 17:00 EST (21:00 GMT) on Thursday, pausing six weeks of intense fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Leaders Confirm Truce, With Conditions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel's participation in the ceasefire, though he made clear that Israeli troops would maintain a 10-kilometre-deep security zone in southern Lebanon. "We are there, and we are not leaving," he stated. Netanyahu described the truce as an "opportunity to make a historic peace agreement," but insisted Israeli forces must remain in the south to "block the danger of invasion."
Hezbollah indicated a willingness to participate in the ceasefire but stated it must include a comprehensive halt to all attacks across Lebanon and no freedom of movement for Israeli forces — two conditions Netanyahu said he did not accept.
Iran's foreign ministry welcomed the announcement. Tehran had previously insisted that its own separate two-week ceasefire with the United States should also cover Lebanon, a position Washington and Jerusalem rejected.
Conflict Background and Human Cost
The current round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began on 2 March, two days after a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran. Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel, saying it was retaliating for the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The toll on Lebanon has been devastating. According to the Lebanese health ministry, at least 2,196 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the conflict began, including 260 women and 172 children. More than one million people — roughly one in five Lebanese residents — have been displaced, and an estimated 37,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged. Israeli authorities report that Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians in Israel and 13 Israeli soldiers in combat.
In the hours immediately before the ceasefire was due to begin, both sides continued to exchange cross-border strikes. On Thursday, the Israeli military destroyed the last bridge connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, deepening concerns about a prolonged occupation of the region.
Diplomatic Path Forward
Trump announced via his Truth Social platform that he would be inviting both Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for what he called "the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983," referencing the period of the Lebanese Civil War.
"I think we will have an agreement between Lebanon and they're going to take care of Hezbollah… We'll have an agreement between Israel, very importantly, and Lebanon," Trump told reporters outside the White House.
He said he expected both leaders to arrive in the United States for talks within "the next week or two."
The US State Department confirmed that Lebanon's government has committed to taking meaningful steps to prevent Hezbollah and other armed non-state groups from carrying out attacks or hostile operations against Israeli targets.
Key Questions Remain Unresolved
Even as the ceasefire takes hold, the future of Hezbollah's arsenal remains a central unresolved issue. Lebanese authorities have long maintained that disarming the group cannot be achieved by force and would require direct negotiation. Israel has identified Hezbollah disarmament as a core demand in any future talks with the Lebanese government.
A previous ceasefire between the two sides — which ended 13 months of conflict — was marked by near-daily cross-border strikes, raising questions about the durability of the current truce. Recent analysis by BBC Verify has documented that more than 1,400 buildings across southern Lebanon have been demolished since 2 March.
Separately, Trump noted that the United States and Iran are progressing toward a nuclear agreement, with a second round of peace talks expected to take place in Pakistan. He said both sides had already agreed on a number of points, including that Tehran would not possess nuclear weapons for a period beyond 20 years, adding a stark warning: "If there is no deal, fighting resumes."
