A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight Israel time Thursday, offering temporary relief to civilians who have borne the brunt of escalating violence, after U.S. President Donald Trump brokered separate conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The pause in hostilities comes as shrapnel from a Hezbollah rocket barrage severely wounded a 25-year-old man in Carmiel, northern Israel, just two hours before the ceasefire began, underscoring the human cost of the conflict that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "has already claimed far too many lives."
Trump announced on Truth Social that "both sides want to see peace, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" He also extended invitations to Aoun and Netanyahu to the White House for the first direct talks between the leaders of Lebanon and Israel since 1983, 43 years ago.
Trump Pressure and Regional Diplomacy
According to The Jerusalem Post, Trump pressured Israel to agree to the ceasefire after Aoun clarified to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior American officials that a call with Netanyahu would not take place without progress in negotiations. Two sources familiar with the details said Aoun told Rubio and others, "There is only value in such a phone call between leaders when there is significant progress on the ground. Without real negotiations underway, and certainly without a ceasefire, I will not hold a call with Netanyahu at this time." These remarks led to a conversation between Aoun and Trump, during which Trump promised his Lebanese counterpart that "there will be a ceasefire."
When asked in a security cabinet meeting what led to Israel's decision to agree to a ceasefire, Netanyahu reportedly said, "It's a Trump request." An Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post that Trump and Netanyahu held at least one phone call during the day, and that in recent days there had been no pressure from Israel for a ceasefire, only requests by Trump and other officials to minimize Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Netanyahu did not ask for the security cabinet's approval when he informed them of the ceasefire, and only held an urgent conference call after Trump's announcement, presenting the cabinet with the cessation of the war in southern Lebanon as a fait accompli.
Security Buffer and Civilian Safety Concerns
Netanyahu hailed the ceasefire as "an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon," saying, "We have changed the balance of security." Israel will maintain a security buffer stretching 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon for the duration of the ceasefire in order to deter the threat posed by Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. However, the Lebanese Armed Forces warned citizens to avoid Israeli-occupied areas in southern Lebanon and urged the public to exercise caution. In a statement, the LAF said, "Amid circulating news regarding a cease-fire agreement being reached, the military leadership calls on citizens to exercise restraint in returning to the southern villages and towns until the agreement enters into force, and urges not to approach the areas infiltrated by Israeli occupation forces." The LAF added that citizens must "adhere to the military's directives to preserve their safety, exercise caution and report unexploded ordnance and suspicious objects left after Israeli attacks to the nearest military center."
Hezbollah ally and speaker of Lebanon's Parliament Nabih Berri urged Lebanese to "postpone their return to their towns and villages until the situation becomes clearer, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement." Hezbollah, in its first comment on the truce, said that any ceasefire must not allow Israel freedom of movement within Lebanon, adding that the presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory grants Lebanon and its people the "right to resist."
Domestic Political Backlash and Regional Linkages
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the ceasefire, describing it as "all the promises of this government... crashing against the ground of reality." He said the war with Lebanon can only end by fully and permanently removing the threat to Israel's northern border communities, adding, "In this government, it will no longer happen; we will do it in the next government." Yisrael Beytenu chairperson MK Avigdor Liberman condemned the ceasefire as a "betrayal," saying, "The government of October 7 learned nothing," and added, "Once again, Hezbollah is being given time to recover and strengthen itself. The war must not be ended without a clear decision and the elimination of Hezbollah. Otherwise, the next round is just a matter of time, at a much heavier price and under much worse conditions." Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yashar!, said he thought the ceasefire was "a bad omen," adding, "And it stems from the way in which Netanyahu, as prime minister, does not know how to realize the military achievements into political achievements, and therefore a ceasefire is being forced upon us for the third time."
The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran has been pressuring the United States to advance a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that senior Iranian officials had made it clear to mediators that without a ceasefire in Lebanon, there is no chance of progress in talks between Iran and the United States. Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir, who was in Iran and in direct contact with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, conveyed that message to Washington. An Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post, "This is what should really concern us, the fact that Iran has managed to link the negotiations over Lebanon with the negotiations over Iran." The report said Iran had set the ceasefire in Lebanon as a precondition for holding negotiations with the United States, with Israel publicly opposing Tehran's demand.
International Support and Calls for Lasting Peace
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the ceasefire agreement in a post on X/Twitter, saying the pause in fighting was Lebanon's "primary goal in the Washington meeting on Tuesday." Salam wrote, "I congratulate all Lebanese on this achievement," and thanked regional and international partners who helped achieve the ceasefire. Internationally, von der Leyen said, "I welcome the announced 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by President Trump," adding, "This is a relief, as this conflict has already claimed far too many lives." She said, "Now, we need not just a temporary pause, but a path to permanent peace. Europe will continue to call for the full respect of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And we will keep supporting the Lebanese people through substantial humanitarian aid."
Haaretz reported that the Israeli military reported that ten rockets were fired from Lebanon toward the Carmiel area two hours before the ceasefire, that it intercepted eight and that two others hit open areas. Five rockets were fired toward Nahariya along northern Israel's coast, with Israeli air defenses intercepting four, and the military expected more rocket fire in the coming hour ahead of the ceasefire taking effect at midnight.
Why This Matters:
This temporary ceasefire offers a critical window for civilians on both sides of the border who have endured violence and displacement, but the 10-day timeline and ongoing presence of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon raise questions about whether the pause can translate into lasting security and peace. The warnings from Lebanese authorities about unexploded ordnance and occupied areas underscore the dangers facing families seeking to return home, while the rocket attack that wounded a young Israeli man just hours before the truce highlights the fragility of the arrangement. The ceasefire's success depends on whether diplomatic momentum can address the underlying security concerns of border communities and the sovereignty issues raised by Lebanon and international partners. The linkage between Lebanon negotiations and broader U.S.-Iran talks also signals that regional stability requires coordinated multilateral efforts, not just bilateral agreements. For civilians caught in the crossfire, the difference between a temporary pause and a permanent peace framework will determine whether they can rebuild their lives or face another cycle of violence.