A ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight Thursday, prompting celebrations and a mass return of displaced civilians to southern Lebanon, even as early reports of violations cast a shadow over the fragile truce. The halt in fighting, brokered by United States President Donald Trump, follows a separate ceasefire with Iran declared last week, and comes amid intensifying diplomatic efforts to secure a longer-term agreement ending nearly seven weeks of regional war.
Ceasefire Terms and Early Violations
The ceasefire agreement, outlined in a US State Department press release whose text was agreed to by both governments, commits Lebanon to taking "meaningful steps" — with international support — to prevent Hezbollah and other armed groups from attacking Israel. The agreement may be extended should both countries agree and as Lebanon demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty.
Hours after midnight, however, the Lebanese army reported Israeli ceasefire violations, including intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages, and called on citizens to hold off on returning to border areas. France's President Macron expressed concern that the ceasefire could be "undermined by the continuation of military operations," and called on Hezbollah to renounce its weapons and on Israel to respect Lebanese sovereignty.
Lebanon's National News Agency reported what it described as the first ceasefire violation after an ambulance was struck in the town of Kounine, near the border.
Netanyahu Boxed In by Trump
The ceasefire was imposed on both sides by Trump. It follows his earlier intervention to halt the June war against Iran, and comes despite Netanyahu's reported desire to continue fighting on both fronts — with Israeli aides having briefed journalists against a stoppage in the days prior.
Israel's security cabinet members were informed of the ceasefire only after Trump had already announced it publicly, following calls to Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Trump is now discussing the possibility of a three-way White House summit.
The halt in fighting voids the war's momentum and lowers the likelihood of its resumption. Netanyahu faces difficulty persuading the Israeli public that the war's goals were achieved, given that Hezbollah has not been disarmed and the IRGC remains intact.
A senior Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that the US intends to play a far more active role this time around. "Trump wants this to happen, so this time the US will be far more involved," the official said, adding that Iranian forces are in a much weaker position to support Hezbollah's recovery and that Israeli forces will remain deployed from Naqoura to Syria.
Iran Nuclear Talks: A Deal Within Reach?
Talks in Pakistan on a long-term ceasefire with Iran are expected to resume at the start of next week, with high-ranking American officials projecting cautious optimism about the prospects of reaching a broader agreement.
Iran's decision-makers are reported to be willing to accept a five-year freeze on uranium enrichment, while Washington is demanding twenty years — leaving room for compromise. The fate of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains the most contentious issue. According to reports, the US will insist on removal of the material from Iran, while Tehran is expected to delay as long as possible. In exchange, Iran stands to gain the release of frozen funds held in Qatari banks, the lifting of oil export sanctions, and access to economic rehabilitation deals worth tens of billions of dollars.
Pakistan, which hosted the first round of US-Iran talks and is actively working to bring both sides back to the table, says it has received positive signals from both Washington and Tehran and remains optimistic that a breakthrough agreement is possible.
Hormuz: Europe Steps Forward
European nations including France, Belgium and the Netherlands have mine-clearance and escort capabilities that could help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said. France and Britain are co-chairing a meeting of around 40 countries in Paris aimed at signalling allied readiness to support the US effort. The strait carries approximately twenty percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply in peacetime.
Haaretz analyst Amos Harel offers a sobering assessment of the broader strategic picture. The Iranian regime has been struck by the most severe military and economic crisis in its history, but it is still standing, with a major reshuffle at the top following Israeli assassinations of senior figures. Critically, the leadership that has replaced those targeted appears to be even more hardline and ideological than its predecessors — a development many analysts had warned about before the campaign began.
The United States was drawn into another regional conflict despite its stated intentions to avoid one, while Iran actualized its long-standing threat to block the Strait of Hormuz and was forced for the first time to wield military force directly rather than through proxies.
A Pew Research Center poll published last week found that a majority of Americans, including a majority of under-fifty Republican voters, now hold a negative or very negative view of Israel — a development analysts describe as a collapse of Israel's standing among groups long considered its core supporters.