The US President announces an extension of the ceasefire – and thus sends signals towards Tehran. However, hardly anyone believes in real peace.
April 24, 2026, 5:28 p.mApril 24, 2026, 5:28 p.m
Laura Hülsemann, Beirut / ch media
Donald Trump wants to end the war with Iran – peace in Lebanon is likely to be central to this. Now the US President has ensured that the ceasefire in Lebanon is extended by three weeks. This gives him a breather to resolve the stalemate in negotiations with Iran.
According to Trump, the wars are separate, but Tehran has been insisting on a ceasefire for Lebanon in recent weeks. Trump has signaled to his Israeli allies that the weapons in Lebanon are silent. Nevertheless, Israel is allowed to defend itself in the event of imminent attacks, said Trump.
Tehran enjoys great influence in Lebanon through its ally Hezbollah. But Trump now wants to have a greater say in the country. He met in the Oval Office on Thursday with representatives from Lebanon and Israel, supported by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance — the highest-ranking U.S. participation in these talks to date.
The meeting on Thursday in Washington.Image: keystone
Trump hopes that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington for talks within the next three weeks. That would be a historical approach. This would be a success for parts of the Lebanese population, but a taboo break for Iran-aligned Hezbollah sympathizers.
A ceasefire on paper – and without Hezbollah
Despite the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, there have been repeated clashes over the past week. Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel again on Tuesday, and on Friday the militia said it shot down an Israeli drone over the coastal town of Sour. The Israeli military also attacked the southern Lebanese town of Touline on Thursday evening, followed by evacuation orders on Friday.
A destroyed mosque in southern Lebanon.Image: keystone
Israel continues to maintain its security zone, which extends parallel to the Israeli border up to 10 kilometers inside Lebanon. For Hezbollah, which defines itself by resistance to Israel, the occupation of the Lebanese strip of land is unacceptable. The militia was not involved in the negotiations nor does it appear to accept the terms. Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad called the extension of the ceasefire “meaningless”.
Some people within the Lebanese population share this view, although not everyone does. “People trust Hezbollah more than the government,” says Haitham Chmaisani, a humanitarian worker at a Lebanese NGO. If Israel attacks Lebanon, Hezbollah will retaliate. Chmaisani is sure of that.
No end to the war in sight
This represents a major challenge for the Lebanese government. Before the negotiations, Lebanese President Aoun demanded that the Israeli occupation must end. Israel, on the other hand, is making its withdrawal from southern Lebanon dependent on the disarmament of Hezbollah. However, this is an extremely difficult task that even the well-equipped Israeli military has failed to achieve. It remains questionable how the currently weak Lebanese government will cope with this.
The war in Lebanon seems far from over. Since the latest fighting began in early March, 1.2 million people have had to leave their homes. Some found shelter with families and friends, others in emergency shelters and others had to live in tents hoping for an end to the war.
Many of them are still afraid to return. “People go back for a day or two to check on their houses,” says Chmaisani. “But they don’t stay.” Because like the humanitarian worker, they also know: “The ceasefire is only valid for three weeks.” (aargauerzeitung.ch)