The leaders of Israel and Lebanon have agreed on a 10-day ceasefire starting at 5 PM EST (21:00 GMT; midnight local time), as announced by US President Donald Trump. This ceasefire comes during a phase where Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in intense conflict across southern Lebanon for over six weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his country’s participation in the ceasefire, asserting that Israeli troops will maintain a 'security zone' in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has indicated it could accept the truce, but under conditions demanding a full halt to all aggressive actions and no freedom of movement for Israeli forces. The ongoing conflict was reignited following a US-Israel joint operation targeting Iran, which escalated tensions leading Hezbollah to retaliate for the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader. The war has resulted in more than 2,000 casualties in Lebanon and significant displacement among its population. Direct discussions are occurring in Washington in hopes of furthering the peace process, marking the first significant diplomatic engagement between the two nations since the Lebanese Civil War ended in 1989.