Lebanon partial ceasefire announced but attacks continue

Lebanon announced a partial ceasefire with Israel, a move intended to de-escalate a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and intensified the wider war involving the US and Iran. The agreement, facilitated by US President Donald Trump, stipulates that Israel will refrain from striking Beirut and its suburbs, while Hezbollah will halt its attacks on Israel.

Despite the announcement, hostilities persisted in southern Lebanon, where Israel has maintained an invasion since March. The Israeli military reported intercepting projectiles from Lebanon into northern Israel, with no reported injuries. President Trump stated that Hezbollah, through intermediaries, had pledged to cease attacks on Israel, a significant development given the US designation of the group as a terrorist organization.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that military operations in southern Lebanon would continue, with ground forces advancing deeper into the country. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah expressed support for a full ceasefire across Lebanon as a prerequisite for Israeli troop withdrawal, but did not confirm an immediate halt to attacks on Israel. Lebanon plans to pursue an expanded ceasefire in upcoming talks in Washington.

The broader peace process has been stalled for weeks, with negotiators struggling to agree on a framework for talks. The Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2, is intertwined with the larger conflict. Iran has insisted on a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a condition for ending its war with the US, while the US maintains the conflicts are separate. Iranian state media reported Tehran was halting indirect peace negotiations with the US, citing the war in Lebanon, though this was not directly confirmed by officials.

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The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon.