BEIRUT, April 17, 2026 (WAFA) – The 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel came into effect at midnight on Thursday, several hours after US President Donald Trump announced it.
US President Trump had announced on Thursday evening that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST."
Earlier on Thursday, the US State Department announced that “Israel and Lebanon will implement a cessation of hostilities beginning on April 16, 2026, at 17:00 EST, for an initial period of ten days... to enable good-faith negotiations toward a permanent security and peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon.”
It added that “This initial period may be extended by mutual agreement between Lebanon and Israel…”.
While Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that Israel agreed to the 10-day ceasefire, he revealed that Israel would maintain a 10km “security zone” along the border in southern Lebanon.
Israel has launched a military aggression on Lebanon since March 2, 2026, killing 2,196 people, injuring 7,185 others, and displacing over a million.
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