Fragile ceasefire in Lebanon – Iran hesitant about talks

Nivette Dawod

Published 17.37 

        

        Lebanese soldiers stationed at a destroyed bridge in Qasmiyeh in southern Lebanon while people try          to return home to their villages. Photo: Mohammed Zaatari /AP/TT 

Everyone has their finger on the trigger.

But so far the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel is holding.

The question is whether it is enough to lure Iran back to the peace talks.

Just hours after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday, the accusations came:

"Wait to return to villages and towns in the southern part of the country. This is in light of a number of violations of the agreement, where several Israeli attacks have been recorded," the Lebanese military wrote on the X platform.

Northern Israel was also subjected to rocket fire from Hezbollah on Friday.

Despite this, the fragile agreement for a ten-day peace seems to hold.

         

         A family in Nahariya in northern Israel takes the opportunity to take a day at the beach during the               ceasefire. Photo: Ariel Schalit /AP/TT / AP

Everyone warns

At the same time, warnings are coming from all sides.

Hezbollah and its ally Iran state that they have their "finger on the trigger" and are ready to defend themselves against "the betrayal and treachery of the enemy."

Israel has also stated that it considers itself entitled to defend itself “at any time against planned, threatened or ongoing attacks”, and that it does not intend to leave the areas in southern Lebanon where it has taken control.

“Also expresses my concern”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the ceasefire yesterday, which he hoped could lead to a lasting peace in the Middle East. At the same time, he appealed to all parties to respect the agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested in a post on X that the agreement was in fact concluded between Hezbollah and Israel rather than Lebanon and Israel, and struck a worried tone:

“I fully support the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel that President Trump presented yesterday. I also express my concern that it may already have been undermined by continued military operations”.

          

          Destruction in the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon after the Israeli attacks. Photo: Mohammed Zaatari /AP/TT

“Does not accept”

According to reports, Donald Trump has forced Israel to the negotiating table so that the US can continue peace talks with Iran. An end to Israel's attacks on Lebanon is one of Iran's demands for an agreement to be reached with the US.

It was also Trump who announced the ceasefire, and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun would meet for further talks.

Only then did both countries confirm the whole thing.

Now it remains to be seen whether Iran intends to return to negotiations with the US.

On Friday, the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh indicated that a ten-day agreement for Lebanon is not enough:

“We do not accept any temporary ceasefire,” he said, according to Al Jazeera.