US President Donald Trump has announced that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, which took effect from 17:00 EST (21:00 GMT; midnight local time) on 16 April.
There was no mention in Trump’s statement of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, with which Israel has been exchanging fire for the past six weeks. But in a later post on Truth Social, Trump urged the group to abide by the ceasefire, saying, “I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time.”
Following the announcement, the US president also invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for further talks.
Here is what we know about the truce.
What does the agreement say?
The terms of the deal specify that the ceasefire is set to last 10 days, with the possibility it being “extended by mutual agreement” if negotiations show signs of progress.
According to further details provided by the US State Department:
- Israel retains its “right to take all necessary measures in self-defence, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks”
- Lebanon must take “meaningful steps” to prevent Hezbollah and all other “rogue non-state armed groups” from carrying out attacks against Israeli targets
- Those involved recognise that Lebanon’s security forces have exclusive responsibility for Lebanon’s security
- Israel and Lebanon requested that the US continues to facilitate further direct talks with the objective of “resolving all remaining issues”
The statement added that the truce was a “gesture of goodwill” by Israel intended to enable “good-faith negotiations towards a permanent security and peace agreement” between the two parties.
What have the various sides said about it?
Israel and Lebanon’s leaders have both welcomed the truce, with Netanyahu calling it an “opportunity to make a historic peace agreement”.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he hopes the agreement will allow those have been displaced by the conflict to return to their homes.
Hezbollah have also signalled a willingness to participate in the ceasefire, but said it must include “a comprehensive halt to attacks” across Lebanon and “no freedom of movement for Israeli forces”.
The Iran-backed group, while deeply embedded in Lebanon, is not part of the Lebanese government’s security apparatus.
Iran’s foreign ministry welcomed the ceasefire, with spokesperson Esmail Baghaei expressing his “solidarity” with Lebanon. Tehran had insisted that its own two-week ceasefire with the US should include Lebanon while the US and Israel said it did not.
UN Secretary General António Guterres commended the role of the US in facilitating the ceasefire, and urged all parties to “fully respect” and “comply with international law at all times”.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called the deal a “relief”, saying Europe will continue to “call for the full respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas added that the ceasefire must be used to “step back from the violence” and create space for talks for “a more lasting peace”.
Why is Israel remaining in southern Lebanon?
Despite the agreement, Netanyahu said Israeli troops would remain stationed 10km-deep (6.2 mile) into southern Lebanon.
UN figures show that across Lebanon, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced, the majority of these from the south.
Israel re-entered southern Lebanon after strikes by Hezbollah in early March, and has described the area occupied as a “security zone”, with Netanyahu saying this week: “We are there, and we are not leaving.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz previously said the area to be occupied would go up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon – about 30km (18.6 miles) from the border with Israel.
He also said all houses in Lebanese villages near the Israeli border would be demolished.
How was it negotiated?
Israel and Lebanon held rare direct talks in Washington earlier this week week aimed at easing the war, which has seen deadly air strikes on part of the Lebanese capital of Beirut and fighting in the country’s south.
Trump’s announcement said the deal came about after “excellent conversations” with Aoun and Netanyahu, but did not mention whether Hezbollah was directly involved in the talks.
He later urged Hezbollah to “act nicely and well during this important period of time” on social media.
