A 10-day ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon officially took effect on Thursday evening, April 16, 2026, following direct mediation by the United States .
US President Donald Trump announced the breakthrough after separate phone conversations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The truce began at 5 p.m. EST (9 p.m. GMT) and is intended to create conditions for direct negotiations toward a permanent peace agreement between the two neighbouring countries .
The ceasefire text, released by the US State Department, affirms that “Israel and Lebanon are not at war” and commits both nations to engage in good-faith direct negotiations facilitated by the United States . Key objectives include the demarcation of the international land boundary and the establishment of lasting security along their shared border .
Under the agreement, Lebanon has committed to taking “meaningful steps to prevent Hezbollah and all other rogue non-state armed groups” from carrying out attacks against Israeli targets . Meanwhile, Israel has agreed not to conduct offensive military operations in Lebanon during the 10-day period, though it reserves the right to act in self-defence .
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli troops would remain on the ground in southern Lebanon, maintaining a “security zone” along the border . He also insisted that Hezbollah’s disarmament remains a precondition for lasting peace .
Lebanese President Aoun has maintained that an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory is essential for any ceasefire to hold . Hezbollah, for its part, has warned that it will not accept any agreement that grants Israel freedom of movement within Lebanon .
Trump has invited both leaders to the White House for what would be the first face-to-face meeting between Israeli and Lebanese leaders in 44 years .
The conflict, which escalated on March 2, has claimed over 2,100 lives and displaced more than one million people .
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