A cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon, which began ten days ago, remained intact as of Friday, mere hours after former President Donald Trump hailed the agreement as a significant day for Lebanon.
In Beirut, celebratory gunfire echoed through the streets, creating a symphony of noise, as those displaced by Israel’s recent strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon returned to their homes.
Jubilant crowds filled the streets, with some waving the yellow flags of Hezbollah, while others carried images of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the militant group who was killed by Israel in 2024.
The cease-fire was implemented at midnight local time following a day in which the Israeli military targeted 380 Hezbollah sites, including command centers and rocket launchers.
The agreement was reached after a conversation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese Prime Minister Joseph Aoun on Thursday.
“It may have been a historic day for Lebanon. Good things are happening!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.
There was a flurry of diplomatic activity in the build-up to the deal being struck.
Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he agreed to the pause, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Aoun.
Then, President Trump held a call with both leaders to secure the agreement.
Israeli and Lebanese officials met in Washington D.C. for the first time in 34 years — just two days before the deal was reached.
Israel and Lebanon have been ordered to engage in “good faith direct negotiations, facilitated by the United States, with the objective of achieving a comprehensive agreement that ensures lasting security, stability, and peace between the two countries,” according to the State Department.”
A White House official claimed Lebanon acknowledged Hezbollah is a problem for both Beirut and Israel, NBC News reported.
But, it still remains unclear if Israel will stop targeting Hezbollah during the cease-fire.
Netanyahu said troops won’t be withdrawn from southern Lebanon. He confirmed a security zone will extend six miles into Lebanon.
“That is where we are, and we are not leaving,” he said in a video address to the nation.
Hezbollah officials acknowledged the truce, but didn’t confirm if they would follow it.
The militant group says that Lebanese people have “the right to resist” Israeli occupation of their land and that their actions “will be determined based on how developments unfold.”
In a message to “the people of the resistance,” chiefs urged those who have been displaced not to return to their homes for safety reasons.
Trump said he hopes Hezbollah “acts nicely and well” during the cease-fire.
“It will be [a] great moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have peace!” he said on Truth Social.
Israel and Hezbollah have fought several wars and have been fighting on and off since the day after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
Israel and Lebanon reached a deal to end that war in November 2024, but the Jewish State’s forces have kept up near-daily strikes in what it says is an effort to prevent the militant group from regrouping.
The cease-fire framework ensures Israel’s right of self-defense, but calls on Lebanon to take all “meaningful steps” to stop Hezbollah from carrying out attacks on Israeli targets.
With Post wires.
