What's in the Lebanon ceasefire deal and will it hold?

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a U.S.-backed ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, a deal meant to enable broader U.S.-Iran negotiations but one that will see Israeli forces maintain positions deep inside southern Lebanon.



Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a "cessation of hostilities" on April 16 at 2100 GMT for an initial period of 10 days to enable peace negotiations between the two countries, according to a text of the deal released by the State Department.



The deal says Lebanon's government, with international support, would take "meaningful steps" to prevent Hezbollah and other groups from carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.



It also says that Israel and Lebanon recognise the country's security forces "as having exclusive responsibility for Lebanon’s sovereignty and national defense", a reference to a bid by the government since 2025 to disarm Hezbollah.



The 10-day period can be extended by mutual agreement as talks progress and depending on whether "Lebanon effectively demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty", it adds, in another reference to Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah.