Quick Read
- Israel supports a US-brokered ceasefire with Iran but has explicitly stated it does not apply to Lebanon.
- The conflict in Lebanon, which began on March 2, has resulted in over 1,500 deaths and displaced over a million people.
- The exclusion of Lebanon from the broader Iran ceasefire raises questions about the future of ongoing military operations and potential regional negotiations.
JERUSALEM (Azat TV) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Wednesday that a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, intended to halt attacks on Iran, will not extend to Lebanon. This clarification comes as the region navigates a fragile de-escalation following a period of heightened conflict.
Israel Backs US Truce, Excludes Lebanon Front
Netanyahu’s office stated its support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to curb Iran’s nuclear, missile, and terror threats. However, a key point of emphasis was that the agreed-upon truce specifically excludes Lebanon. This declaration arrived shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the U.S., Iran, and their allies had reached an immediate ceasefire agreement that encompassed Lebanon.
Lebanon Drawn into Wider Conflict
Lebanon became entangled in the broader U.S.-Iran conflict on March 2, following attacks launched by Iran-aligned Hezbollah. Hezbollah stated these actions were in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by Israel on February 28, and for Israel’s persistent violations of a previous ceasefire in Lebanon agreed upon in November 2024. That earlier truce followed over a year of exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah after Israel’s extensive military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023.
Humanitarian Impact and Ongoing Operations
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli military actions in Lebanon since March 2 have resulted in over 1,500 fatalities, including 126 children, and displaced more than one million people. The Israeli military has also initiated an invasion into southern Lebanon, with stated aims of establishing a buffer zone. Neither Hezbollah nor the Lebanese government have issued an immediate response to Netanyahu’s statement regarding the exclusion of Lebanon from the ceasefire.
Regional Dynamics and Negotiation Outlook
Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr noted that Hezbollah’s involvement expanded the conflict and presented Israel with a multi-front challenge. She suggested Hezbollah’s calculation was to gain greater political leverage in potential negotiations by aligning with Iran. This strategic move comes amidst criticism from Hezbollah directed at the Lebanese government for failing to secure Israel’s adherence to the terms of the 2024 ceasefire. Israel had previously refused to withdraw from southern Lebanon, release detainees, or permit the return of displaced populations. The central question now is whether the Israel-Hezbollah front will be a subject of discussion in the upcoming negotiations between Iran and the U.S., with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam believing Iran directs Hezbollah’s military campaign in southern Lebanon.
The explicit exclusion of Lebanon from the U.S.-Iran ceasefire highlights the complex, multi-layered nature of regional conflicts, suggesting that a broader de-escalation may not uniformly apply across all active fronts, leaving the situation in southern Lebanon uncertain.