Published April 16, 2026 — A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on Thursday evening after US-brokered talks, offering a pause in cross-border hostilities that officials said could open a path toward a broader peace.
US President Donald Trump announced the agreement, saying he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The truce was scheduled to begin at 21:00 UTC (midnight local time in Lebanon and Israel). Trump said the deal would include Hezbollah and suggested it might be part of wider understandings reached between the United States and Iran, adding that an Iran-US agreement on nuclear and other issues was “close.”
Israel’s military reported strikes on rocket launchers used by Lebanon-based Hezbollah shortly before the truce took effect, and Israeli rescue services said one person in northern Israel was seriously injured by shelling launched less than two hours before the ceasefire. AFP journalists and AFPTV footage also captured gunfire in Beirut’s southern suburbs as the ceasefire began.
The US State Department said the ceasefire involves a commitment by the Lebanese government to take “meaningful steps” to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks, operations or hostile activities against Israeli targets. The statement acknowledged the challenge posed by non-state armed groups to Lebanon’s sovereignty and regional stability and said those groups’ activities must be curtailed.
Netanyahu hailed the pause as an opportunity for a “historic peace agreement” with Lebanon but stressed that the disarmament of Hezbollah remained a precondition. He said Israel would maintain a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) “security zone” along the border in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the ceasefire as “a pivotal Lebanese demand we have pursued since the beginning of the war.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the deal, underlining Europe’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and the need to provide substantial humanitarian aid. Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah was more cautious, saying the group had been informed by Iran’s ambassador and that its compliance would depend on whether Israel actually halted hostilities during the truce.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire, with a spokesperson saying the cessation of war in Lebanon formed part of understandings reached between Tehran and Washington — talks that Pakistan helped mediate. Pakistan has been pressing for further US‑Iran talks after a recent round in Islamabad produced no breakthrough; Pakistan’s army chief also met Iran’s parliament speaker this week as Islamabad pushed for renewed negotiations.
Trump told reporters he believed Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile and that a statement limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitions for at least 20 years was possible, raising the prospect of further diplomatic progress. He said a next meeting between US and Iranian representatives could take place over the weekend and suggested he might travel to Islamabad if a deal were signed there.
The truce announcement comes amid a wider regional crisis, including disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and US blockades of Iranian ports that have affected trade. The conflict has had significant humanitarian and economic impacts across the region, including job losses in Iran and disruptions to trade routes that affect exporters in countries such as India.
In other developments, London police arrested three people over an attempted arson attack on the offices of a Persian-language broadcaster; the incident is being investigated by Counter Terrorism Policing London and has been linked by authorities to other recent arson attacks, though investigators treat each incident separately.
As the 10-day truce began, its durability remained uncertain. Observers and officials said the pause could create space for negotiations and humanitarian relief, but much will depend on whether the parties — and non-state actors such as Hezbollah — adhere to the agreement and whether parallel diplomatic efforts can translate the temporary halt into a longer-term settlement.