The 10-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump and agreed on by Lebanon and Israel has started. It went into effect at midnight local time.
The Israeli and Lebanese governments agreed to the ceasefire following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Nearly 2,200 people in Lebanon have been killed by Israeli air strikes.
A 10-day truce appeared to be holding in Lebanon early today, promising a pause in fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and possibly clearing one major obstacle to a deal between Iran and the United States and Israel to end weeks of devastating war.
Barrages of gunshots rang out across Beirut as residents fired into the air just after midnight to celebrate the beginning of the truce, and displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs despite warnings by officials not to attempt to return to their homes until it became clear whether the ceasefire would hold.
Hezbollah and its close ally Nabih Berri, Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker and leader of the Amal Movement, released statements asking their supporters not to return to their homes at the immediate start of the ceasefire. “We ask everyone to refrain from returning to the towns and villages until matters and developments become clear in accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” Berri said.
In its statement, Hezbollah said that Israel “has a history of violating pledges and agreements.”
“With the announcement of the ceasefire, and in the face of a treacherous enemy that has a history of violating pledges and agreements, we call on you to remain patient and not to head towards the targeted areas in the south, the Bekaa [Valley], and the southern suburbs of Beirut until the course of events becomes fully clear.”
Hezbollah
Some people said they would wait for assurances from Berri or Hezbollah before returning home.
The agreement came after a meeting between Israel’s and Lebanon’s Ambassadors in Washington and a flurry of subsequent phone calls from US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a White House official. They were the first direct diplomatic talks between the two countries in decades. Hezbollah had opposed direct talks between Lebanon and Israel. Trump spoke on Wednesday evening with Netanyahu, who agreed to a ceasefire with certain terms, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Rubio then called Lebanon’s President, Joseph Aoun, who got on on board. Trump then spoke with Aoun, and again with Netanyahu. The State Department worked with both governments to formulate a memorandum of understanding for the truce.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry welcomed Trump’s ceasefire announcement and reiterated the kingdom’s support for the Lebanese state and its sovereignty as well as “restricting arms to the state and its legitimate institutions.” Oman also welcomed the President’s announcement and expressed its appreciation “for the efforts undertaken by the United States in reaching this understanding.”
Israeli Troops To Not Withdraw
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon, but he said that Israeli troops would not withdraw.
Israeli forces have engaged in fierce battles with Hezbollah in the border area as they pushed into southern Lebanon to create what officials have called a “security zone.” Netanyahu, in his video address, said that it will extend 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Lebanon.“That is where we are, and we are not leaving,” he said.
The US State Department said that according to the agreement, Israel reserves the right to defend itself “at any time, against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks.” But otherwise, Israel “will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, and other state targets.”
Hezbollah has said that Lebanese people have “the right to resist” Israeli occupation of their land and that their actions “will be determined based on how developments unfold.”
Hezbollah said in a statement that “any ceasefire must be comprehensive across all Lebanese territory and must not allow the Israeli enemy any freedom of movement.” Israel has staged a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, which Netanyahu says Israel will continue to occupy during the ceasefire. Hezbollah said that continuing Israeli occupation grants Lebanon the right to resist.
However, it remained unclear whether Israel would completely stop strikes on Hezbollah, and whether the militant group would recognize a deal it did not play a role in negotiating and which will leave Israeli troops occupying a stretch of southern Lebanon.
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