10-day ceasefire agreed on by Israel, Lebanon goes into effect
Iran says Lebanese truce signifies ‘unity of the Axis of Resistance’
A 10-day truce began in Lebanon on Friday that paused fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah resistance group and boosted attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war. US President Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Barrages of gunshots rang out across Beirut as residents fired into the air just after midnight to celebrate the beginning of the truce.
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.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon, but said Israeli troops would not withdraw.
Hezbollah said that “Israeli occupation on our land grants Lebanon and its people the right to resist it, and this matter will be determined based on how developments unfold” — a stance that could complicate the ceasefire.
The agreement came after a meeting between Israel’s and Lebanon’s ambassadors in Washington and a flurry of subsequent phone calls from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a White House official.
It is one of the key points of the 10-point Iranian proposal that was initially accepted by the American side in the peace talks between Tehran and Washington in Pakistan.
Tehran’s diplomatic efforts
Iranian officials in separate messages welcomed the ceasefire.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran warmly welcomed the ceasefire, underlining that the halt to aggression against the country forms an integral part of the broader ceasefire understanding reached between Iran and the US. Baqaei described the development as the direct fruit of Tehran’s unwavering diplomatic efforts.
“From the outset of talks with various regional and international parties, including the Islamabad negotiations, the Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently stressed the imperative of a simultaneous ceasefire throughout the region, including in Lebanon,” Baqaei affirmed.
The speaker of the Iranian Parliament stressed that the ceasefire is a result of the steadfastness of Hezbollah movement and the unity of the Axis of Resistance.
“We will approach this ceasefire cautiously and will remain united until complete victory is achieved,” Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in a post on X.
The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, two days after the US and Israel launched a joint aggression against Iran, with Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel.
The resistance group said it was retaliating for the assassination of Iran's Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who was martyred in the US-Israeli aggression.
More than 2,000 people in Lebanon have since been killed, with more than a million - or roughly a fifth of the population - displaced. An estimated 37,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged. Israel says Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians in Israel, and that 13 Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat in Lebanon.