A 10 day ceasefire began between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday. President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire and declared that ‘it would formally start at 5:00 PM EST (3:30 AM IST)’. Celebrations were seen across Lebanon since the truce was declared.
The two countries have been at war since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets against Israel after the latter assassinated the Supreme Leader and launched a war against Iran. The war has killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over one million people in Lebanon since it began. The Israeli military has also attempted to seize territory through a ground invasion in southern Lebanon to create what they call a ‘security zone.’ Despite the ceasefire, Israel has refused to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon.
US Brokers Rare Israel-Lebanon Diplomatic Ties
The two countries held their first diplomatic meeting in 34 years in Washington DC on Tuesday to broker a ceasefire. While Lebanese President Joseph Aoun refused to talk directly with Bibi Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, both sides have responded positively to the US mediated talks led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Hezbollah legislator Ibrahim Moussawi has also accepted the ceasefire, as long as Israeli occupation forces stop their aggression and begin withdrawing their troops from Lebanon.
Lebanon Truce Boosts Prospects of US-Iran Deal
The ceasefire has paved the way for better diplomacy between Iran and the US. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Ghalibaf, who represented Iran in the first peace talks held in Pakistan, had already conveyed that a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important as a ceasefire in Iran. This was a point of contention in early negotiations. The US President has informed that the deal to end the war with Iran was ‘very close’ and added that talks might happen over the weekend.
