People ride motorbikes past billboards of Iran's leaders, including Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes, as a fragile ceasefire looms in downtown Tehran on April 16, 2026. Image: AP.
(The Post News)- A 10-day ceasefire began in Lebanon on Friday, which could stop the fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah group and aid efforts to extend a wider truce involving Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of heavy conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the deal as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Although it was not formally included in the deal, Israel has been fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization within Lebanon rather than Lebanon itself.
Celebrations Mark the Truce
Gunshots were heard across Beirut just after midnight as people fired into the air to celebrate the start of the ceasefire.
Families who had fled their homes began returning to southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, even though officials warned them to wait until it was clear the ceasefire would last.
Uncertainty Over Ceasefire-Stability
Officials remain cautious, noting that the situation is still fragile and dependent on both sides maintaining the agreement.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to the ceasefire to support peace efforts with Lebanon but said Israeli troops would stay where they are.
Israeli forces have been fighting heavily with Hezbollah near the border and have moved to southern Lebanon to create what they call a “security zone.” Netanyahu said this zone will stretch about 10 kilometres into Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since 1948, and Lebanon is still divided over whether to have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Trump also invited the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to the White House for what he called the first meaningful talks between the countries since 1983.
In 1983, the two countries signed a deal in which Lebanon would recognise Israel and Israel would withdraw its forces. However, the agreement failed during Lebanon’s civil war and was officially cancelled a year later.
The White House said any further talks about Iran may take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, but no final decision has been made. The ceasefire is still fragile, even as it holds during a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and threats from Iran to target ports in the Red Sea. Trump suggested the ceasefire could be extended.
The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and over a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.
Mediators are trying to reach agreement on three main issues: Iran’s nuclear program, control of the Strait of Hormuz and payments for war damage.
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