Conflict

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight local time Thursday, though Lebanese forces reported Israeli violations within hours of the truce beginning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the temporary halt to hostilities earlier Thursday, saying he agreed to the ceasefire to advance peace negotiations that began this week in Washington. The announcement followed mediated talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations at the State Department, though Hezbollah was not represented in those discussions.

Netanyahu rejected key Hezbollah demands, including a full Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Israeli forces will remain in what he termed an "expanded security belt" stretching up to 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory, from the Mediterranean coast to the Syrian border.