Celebrations were reported across Lebanon after a 10-day ceasefire was announced to pave the way for negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials, according to the US State Department.
Donald Trump said a deal to end the war involving Iran is “very close,” adding that talks with Tehran could resume in Islamabad as early as this weekend.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire, with state media portraying the truce as part of a broader understanding with the United States to pause the wider regional conflict.
A Hezbollah official, speaking to Al Jazeera, said the group would approach the ceasefire with “caution and vigilance,” indicating lingering mistrust despite the temporary halt in hostilities.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces intensified strikes in southern Lebanon in the hours leading up to the ceasefire’s implementation late Thursday. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, at least 11 people were killed, including three in a village in the Sidon district and eight in the Zahrani area.
