Israel-Lebanon Agree to 10-Day Ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (GPO/Amos Ben Grishom)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel had agreed to a 10-day temporary ceasefire with Lebanon, but insisted that his forces would remain in southern Lebanon despite Hezbollah's demands for a withdrawal.

In his statement, Netanyahu said he had agreed to a "10-day temporary ceasefire" to continue discussions held between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington, DC earlier this week.

"Hezbollah demands that we withdraw to the international line and apply the principle of peace for peace. I do not agree with any of these demands," he said, launching Anadolu (17/4).

He added that Israeli forces would remain inside the "expanded security zone" in southern Lebanon.

"The army will remain in all the buffer zones that stretch from the sea to the Shebaa Farms and the road to Mount Hermon, to the Syrian border," he said.

Furthermore, he said Israel entered negotiations with two conditions: the disarmament of Hezbollah and a lasting peace agreement with the Lebanese Government.

"There is an opportunity for a historic peace agreement with Lebanon because we have changed the balance of power," he claimed.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that began at midnight local time (21:00 GMT) in Beirut and Tel Aviv.

"I just had a very good conversation with President Joseph Aoun, who is highly respected, from Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, from Israel," Trump said on his Truth Social, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

"These two leaders have agreed that in order to achieve peace between their countries, they will officially start a 10-day ceasefire at 5 p.m. EST," he added.

The announcement follows US-mediated talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations that took place Tuesday at the State Department in Washington, DC. The Hezbollah group was not represented at the meeting.

Israel launched its latest offensive against Lebanon on March 2, killing 2,196 people and wounding 7,185 others, and causing more than 1 million people to flee, according to official figures.