Resistance forces Israel into 10-day ceasefire but much remains unclear in Lebanon

Israel has agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, theoretically halting its war of aggression in the south. But we know Israeli ceasefires generally involved quite a lot of firing. And much is unclear about the parameters of the pause, which do not appear to demand Israeli withdrawal.

Al Jazeera reported:

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 21:00 GMT today, US President Donald Trump says after speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

However, Hezbollah officials have said the terms of the ceasefire must see Israeli troops removed:

Hezbollah has said the continued presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory gives Lebanon and its people “the right to resist”, as it outlined its position on a proposed ceasefire.

In its first public response to the truce, the group said any agreement must not allow Israeli forces freedom of movement inside Lebanon.

Lebanon beseiged

Despite the ceasefire the Lebanese army is telling the millions displaced from the south not to return home:

⭕️ Breaking: The Lebanese army is telling civilians not to return yet to southern villages, amid reports of a ceasefire. It says people should wait until the agreement officially takes effect and avoid areas where Israeli forces are still present. https://t.co/TunVrrdg7j

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 16, 2026

And Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf insisted any peace deal must include Lebanon:

Lebanon is an integral part of the comprehensive ceasefire.

Pakistan, which is brokering the deal, sent army chief Asim Munir to Tehran to negotiate. He reportedly said:

I understand the importance of the ceasefire in Lebanon and I will follow it.

Nobody trusts Israel

Cradle Media columnist Mohamad Sweidan explained some of the complexities of the situation on X on 16 April:

According to the information:

– There are Pakistani confirmations to Tehran that Tel Aviv will soon announce a ceasefire in Lebanon.

– If Tel Aviv is telling the truth, this comes after Iran’s insistence on not participating in any round of negotiations before a ceasefire in Lebanon.

– Over the past two days, the Lebanon file has been the focus of Iranian-Pakistani discussions.

– Naturally, the extent of “Israel’s” commitment cannot be trusted, but what is certain is Tehran’s position seeking to stop the war.

Adding that:

In a little while, we will publish all the details of the Iranian-American negotiations on the subject.

Even as the peace deal was being thrashed out, Israel took the chance to bomb the last bridge over the Litani river — a strategically important feature the settler-colonial forces had planned to use as a cordon for the time being:

Israel bombed this morning the Qasmiya Bridge, the last operational crossing remaining over the Litani River. Additional updates this morning are linked below. pic.twitter.com/brALUzBgmm https://t.co/a8MMDsMAID

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 16, 2026

Mohamad Sweidan pointed to some of the “constants” to keep in mind in regard to the ceasefire:

بعض الثوابت:
– يسعى ترامب إلى إقفال ملف الحرب مع إيران والدفع نحو إنجاح المسار التفاوضي. وفي المقابل، تمسّك الإيرانيون بضرورة التزام “إسرائيل” بالهدنة وتنفيذها فعليًا قبل استكمال المفاوضات، وهو ما دفع ترامب إلى ممارسة ضغوط مباشرة على نتنياهو لإجباره على القبول بها.
– إن قبلت تل…

— Mohamad Hasan Sweidan (@mhmdsweidan) April 16, 2026

For example:

Trump is seeking to close the file on the war with Iran and push towards the success of the negotiating track. In return, the Iranians are insisting on the necessity of “Israel” committing to the ceasefire and implementing it in practice before completing the negotiations, which has prompted Trump to exert direct pressure on Netanyahu to force him to accept it.

Sweidan also said the resistance had been central to forcing a deal:

If Tel Aviv accepts the ceasefire, it will be due to the steadfastness of the resistance fighters on the front and the steadfastness of the Iranian negotiators in their position.

And he emphasised that the current deal meant a pause — not a withdrawal:

And naturally, even if Tel Aviv announces its commitment, we should not trust it.

The full text of the ceasefire has now been published by the US State Department:

🗞️ Just In: The full text of the ceasefire statement agreed to by the Government of Israel and Government of Lebanon, and issued by the US State Department:

Following productive direct talks on April 14 between the governments of the Republic of Lebanon (hereinafter “Lebanon”)…

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 16, 2026

As the Canary reported on 16 April, Israeli forces have demolishing 1400 homes in south Lebanon. This is in line with their explicitly genocidal scorched earth Dayiha doctrine. And as we argued in the same article, Israel’s ambitions to colonise Lebanon are unlikely to have dimmed.

Featured image via the Canary