The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been underway since 11pm Italian time on 16 April. A truce that came more from the will of the United States, Washington wants to close an agreement with Iran soon, rather than Tel Aviv. Since March 2, the Tsahal armed forces have resumed bombing Lebanese territory and the army has continued to operate south of the Litani river to weaken and eliminate the last resistance of the paramilitary group Hezbollah. Operations that caused the death of over two thousand Lebanese, according to the local Ministry of Health. Now the truce has arrived which rests on an inclined plane, the armies of both factions have reported attacks even after the X hour.
The premise
The text of the ceasefire was published by the US State Department. The six points that regulate the truce are preceded by a long introduction. “Lebanon and Israel have reached an understanding under which both nations will commit to creating conditions conducive to lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the creation of real security along the shared border,” it said. However, “Israel’s intrinsic right to self-defense” is guaranteed.
The document cites the “challenges that the Lebanese state faces due to non-state armed groups, which undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and threaten regional stability”. In particular, “both countries understand the need to stem the activities of these groups”, to operate “the only forces authorized to bring weapons into Lebanon” i.e. the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and all other state authorities.
The foreword ends with a commitment by Israel and Lebanon “to conduct direct negotiations in good faith, facilitated by the United States, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement that ensures lasting security, stability and peace between the two countries.”
What the agreement provides
There are six points governing the truce in total:
- Israel and Lebanon will implement a cessation of hostilities starting April 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern, for an initial period of ten days, as a gesture of goodwill by the Israeli government to enable good faith negotiations for a permanent security and peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon;
- This initial period may be extended by mutual agreement between Lebanon and Israel if progress is made in the negotiations and Lebanon concretely demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty;
- Israel reserves the right to take, at any time, all measures necessary for its self-defense against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks. This right will not be impeded by the cessation of hostilities. Furthermore, Israel will not undertake any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military or other targets, on the territory of Lebanon, by land, air or sea;
- Starting from April 16, 2026, at 5:00 pm Eastern, with international support, the Government of Lebanon will take concrete measures to prevent Hezbollah and all other non-state armed groups present on Lebanese territory from carrying out attacks, operations or hostile activities against Israeli targets;
- All parties recognize the Lebanese security forces as having exclusive responsibility for the sovereignty and national defense of Lebanon, no other country or group can claim to be the guarantor of Lebanese sovereignty;
- Israel and Lebanon ask the United States to facilitate further direct negotiations between the two countries to resolve all outstanding issues, including the demarcation of the international land border, to reach a comprehensive agreement that guarantees lasting security, stability and peace between the two countries.