Israel, Lebanon 10-day ceasefire takes effect

A 10-day ceasefire deal struck between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday, marking a critical step toward ending the broader United States-Iran conflict. Tehran has insisted that a truce in Lebanon must form part of any comprehensive regional peace deal.

In Lebanon, celebratory gunfire echoed across Beirut's southern suburbs, Hezbollah's stronghold, while displaced residents began heading south to return to their homes.

"There's destruction and it's unlivable. We're taking our things and leaving again," Fadel Badreddine, who came with his young son and wife, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"May God grant us relief and end this whole thing permanently."

However, the truce remained highly fragile with Israel's military stating it had struck more than 380 "Hezbollah" targets in southern Lebanon that it and remains on high alert to resume operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out troop withdrawals, emphasizing Hezbollah's disarmament as a precondition for any "historic peace agreement" with Lebanon.

Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi said the group would "respect" the truce if Israel halts its attacks and thanked Iran for pressuring on Lebanon's behalf, adding that "the ceasefire would not have been possible without Iran, which views this truce as equivalent to closing the Strait of Hormuz".

Iran welcomed the ceasefire, describing it as part of an understanding reached with the US under Pakistani mediation that would pave the way for a broader pact to de-escalate the regional conflict, Iranian media reported, citing a Foreign Ministry statement.

Several states in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Oman, have welcomed the truce. Riyadh reiterated its support for Lebanon's statehood and sovereignty, while Muscat called on all parties to refrain from any truce violations.

But Israel still lacks a political roadmap for lasting peace with Lebanon, as it has failed to disarm Hezbollah, said political commentator Abed Abou Shhadeh based in Jaffa, Israel.

"History over the past 40 years has proven this is not something Israel can achieve," he said.

"The military recently acknowledged that fully disarming Hezbollah would require occupying all of Lebanon — a mission it lacks the troop strength to carry out."

To date, more than 2,000 people have been killed in the latest conflict in Lebanon, the majority of them Lebanese civilians.

US President Donald Trump said he had held "excellent conversations" with Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and planned to invite them both to the White House for "meaningful talks". He later added that if a US-Iran deal is signed in Islamabad, he may travel there for the signing.

Abas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, told Al Jazeera that Trump is seeking an exit ramp from the Iran war before it brings greater repercussions for the US and the global energy market.

"But it wouldn't secure any strategic outcome for the US," Aslani said.

"There are some gaps that need to be bridged, but those differences remain."

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly claimed the Iran war will end soon. On Thursday, he told reporters the next round of talks with Iran could happen over the weekend, further alleging Tehran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile. Iran has consistently maintained its nuclear program is peaceful and that its right to enrichment is inarguable.

Experts said there is little credible evidence to back Trump's claim. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Thursday that if Iran rejects a deal, the US military will target Iran's "infrastructure, power grid and energy sector."

Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, said the Trump administration cannot negotiate a comprehensive settlement.

"Trump has a political incentive to claim peace on his terms is imminent. That does not make it a reality," he told Xinhua.

However, a Pakistani source told Reuters on Friday that progress has been made in backchannel diplomacy, and an upcoming US-Iran meeting could yield a memorandum of understanding, to be followed by a full deal within 60 days.