Israel-Lebanon 10-day ceasefire takes effect amid fragile calm

Jerusalem — A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into force at midnight, aiming to halt over a month of intense cross-border violence that has claimed more than 2,000 lives.

The truce follows an announcement by Donald Trump and is intended to temporarily pause hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, Israel reported striking more than 380 Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, including militant positions, launch sites, and command centres. Meanwhile, Israel’s emergency service said rockets were fired into its territory just before the truce began, injuring three people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would maintain a 10-kilometre security zone inside southern Lebanon during the ceasefire period, citing ongoing security concerns. He also reiterated demands for Hezbollah’s disarmament, while expressing cautious optimism about a potential path to peace.

Trump indicated that he plans to host Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House in the coming weeks, in what could be a significant diplomatic engagement between the two nations.

Although Lebanon is not officially at war with Israel, Hezbollah’s presence and operations in southern Lebanon have been central to the conflict. The group has carried out attacks on Israel, triggering strong retaliatory strikes that have largely impacted Lebanese territory.

The success of the ceasefire remains uncertain and will largely depend on whether both sides — particularly Hezbollah, which is not formally part of the agreement — refrain from further escalation.

With inputs from IANS