Netanyahu confirmed the ceasefire in a video message but said Israeli ground troops should remain in a buffer zone in southern Lebanon during the 10-day period. Hezbollah initially left it open whether it would adhere to the ceasefire. Any ceasefire must apply “comprehensively to the entire Lebanese territory” and must not allow any troop movements by Israel, the militia demanded.
During a ceasefire agreed in 2024, the Israeli army continued to regularly attack targets in Lebanon. The Lebanese government’s promise to disarm Hezbollah was not successful. Both sides accused each other of violations.
Shortly before the start of the new ceasefire, the Israeli army announced that it was preparing for possible attacks from Lebanon on Israel’s north. Shortly before the ceasefire came into effect, Hezbollah fired numerous rockets at towns in northern Israel. According to medics, three people were injured by rocket fragments, two of them seriously. The Israeli army said it then attacked Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon.
Further attacks by Israel were also reported in Lebanon until shortly before it came into force. The state news agency NNA reported several attacks in the south of the country until shortly before midnight. The Health Ministry reported that three people were killed and 21 others injured in an attack in the evening near the coastal city of Sidon.
Since shortly after the start of the Iran war at the end of February, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and the Israeli military have engaged in another serious confrontation. In response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah has fired rockets toward Israel again since early March. The Israeli Air Force has since responded with massive air strikes. The Israeli military also advanced further into the south of the neighboring country in a ground offensive and fought ground battles with Hezbollah in the border area. (sda/dpa)