A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Thursday after President Donald Trump announced the agreement following separate conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
“I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel. These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve peace between their countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day ceasefire at 5 P.M. EST,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
President Trump on Truth Social: I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel.
These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will… pic.twitter.com/NE15Bgyaf1
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) April 16, 2026
The news follows weeks of intensified fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters have engaged in heavy exchanges as Israel pushed into southern Lebanon to establish what officials described as a “security zone.”
According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of State, both countries will implement a cessation of hostilities beginning on April 16. Israel retains the right to carry out defensive operations during the truce in response to imminent threats.
Lebanon, in turn, “will take meaningful steps to prevent Hezbollah and all other rogue non-state armed groups in the territory of Lebanon from carrying out any attacks, operations, or hostile activities against Israeli targets.”
Under the agreement, the United States will facilitate direct talks between Israel and Lebanon on delineating their land border as part of efforts to reach a broader peace deal.
Israeli Cabinet Surprised by Ceasefire Announcement
According to Israeli media reports, the ceasefire announcement caught Israel by surprise.
Netanyahu reportedly convened a security cabinet meeting with just five minutes’ notice shortly before the announcement and told the cabinet Trump requested the ceasefire, which he agreed to. The cabinet did not vote on the ceasefire.
In a later statement, Netanyahu described the ceasefire as “an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon.”
“We have changed the balance of security,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel will maintain a security buffer stretching 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon for the duration of the ceasefire to deter the threat posed by Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the ceasefire agreement in a post on X, saying the pause in fighting was Lebanon’s “primary goal in the Washington meeting on Tuesday.”
“I congratulate all Lebanese on this achievement,” Salam wrote, also thanking regional and international partners who helped secure the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Trump said he would invite the leaders of Lebanon and Israel to the White House for peace talks.
“I will be inviting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, to the White House for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983, a very long time ago,” Trump said. “Both sides want to see peace, and I believe that will happen, quickly!”
Lebanon Truce May Influence Iran Talks
According to sources cited by Axios, the ceasefire in Lebanon could help Trump advance efforts toward a broader agreement with Iran.
Israel carried out a series of mass casualty strikes after the Iran truce was reached last week.
Iran has previously argued that ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon constitute a violation of the truce it agreed to with the U.S. The U.S. and Israel reject that, saying the Iran ceasefire does not extend to Israel’s offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
While the Trump administration and Israel maintain that the Lebanon and Iran ceasefires are entirely separate, a former U.S. official told Axios that the White House’s increased urgency over the past two days to secure a Lebanon truce was driven in part by efforts to advance negotiations with Iran.
Iranian state-owned media Press TV reported that Iran’s foreign ministry welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, claiming it was part of broader Iran–U.S. ceasefire understandings.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman welcomes the ceasefire in Lebanon.
🔹 Esmail Baghaei states that the cessation of the war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire understanding between Iran and the US, mediated by Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/lAkvf6UOyy
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 16, 2026
Ceasefire Violations Reported
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army said several violations of the ceasefire agreement by Israel were recorded within hours of the ceasefire declaration.
إلحاقًا بالبيان السابق المتعلق بدعوة المواطنين إلى الالتزام بتوجيهات الوحدات العسكرية المنتشرة، تجدّد قيادة الجيش دعوتها المواطنين إلى التريّث في العودة إلى القرى والبلدات الجنوبية، وذلك في ظل عدد من الخروقات للاتفاق، وقد سجل عدد من الاعتداءات الإسرائيلية، إضافة إلى قصف متقطع… pic.twitter.com/7hqIrGPaNs
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) April 16, 2026
In a post on X, it said it had documented multiple Israeli attacks, including intermittent shelling, on villages in Lebanon.
It urged displaced residents to exercise caution when returning to towns in the south and to avoid hazardous areas.
The Israel Defense Forces has not yet commented on Lebanon’s claims.
