BEIRUT, (PIC)
A 10-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has officially taken effect at midnight local time in both countries, following an announcement by US president Donald Trump.
Trump said the truce began late Thursday, after what he described as “excellent conversations” with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that “both leaders agreed to initiate the ceasefire in an effort to advance peace between their countries”. The truce is set to last for 10 days, starting at 5:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, corresponding to midnight in Beirut and Tel Aviv.
The ceasefire comes after weeks of intensified Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2, which have killed at least 2,196 people, injured 7,185, and displaced more than one million, according to official figures.
Earlier in March, Aoun had proposed an initiative that included halting Israeli attacks, launching direct negotiations under international sponsorship, providing logistical support to the Lebanese army, and disarming Hezbollah, a proposal Hezbollah has rejected.
The Lebanese government has backed a plan to disarm Hezbollah, while the group insists on retaining its weapons, describing itself as a resistance movement against Israeli occupation in parts of southern Lebanon, some of which have been held for decades and others since the 2023–2024 war.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive on Lebanon in October 2023, followed by a ceasefire in November 2024. However, Israeli forces continued to violate the agreement on a near-daily basis before expanding their attacks again in early March this year.
