Lebanon and Israel agree to a 10-day ceasefire while Trump continues talks with Iran
The Strait of Hormuz is reopening, a crucial development in the ongoing talks with Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirms that the passage is open, but President Donald Trump’s optimism about a peace deal is being met with Iranian contradiction. Domestically, severe storms are impacting 50 million Americans as Trump rallies young voters, preaching successes and falling gas prices, averaging $4.07 per gallon.
The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was tested on April 18 after an ambush in southern Lebanon killed a French soldier, highlighting Hezbollah’s alleged “human shield” tactics and drawing another nation into the conflict, a defense analyst said.
An IDF reservist was also killed and nine soldiers were injured – one seriously – on the same day when an engineering vehicle ran over a bomb planted by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the army said.
Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the INSS and the Misgav Institute in Tel Aviv said the Iran-backed group had spent years preparing the region for Israel’s arrival, relying on its deep-rooted signature terror strategy – even after the latest ceasefire and the IDF’s re-entry into southern Lebanon in March.
Lawmakers are questioning whether the US is moving fast enough to capitalize on Hezbollah’s weakened state
A displaced resident carrying the Hezbollah flag travels through the Qasmieh area on her way back to her home in southern Lebanon (Ibrahim Amro/AFP via Getty Images)
“Hezbollah has spent decades building an entire facility, part of it underground, under private residential buildings and homes, in preparation for a surprise attack on Israel,” Michael added.
“They were well prepared to defend themselves once the IDF came in and tried to fight them,” he said.
The French foreign minister said the soldier was killed in a close-range ambush and hit by a direct shot.
The minister said the attack occurred during an explosives clearance patrol near Ghandouriyeh when troops came under fire from “non-state actors,” a term often used to refer to groups such as Hezbollah.
“They operate in the Shia villages and among the Shia population that is supported by Hezbollah,” Michael said, before describing how “most of the people in these southern villages are in some way connected to Hezbollah” and “highly dependent on the terrorist organization.”
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This image shows Hezbollah terrorists. A ‘terrorist network’ financed and operated by Hezbollah and Iran has been foiled in the United Arab Emirates, according to a report. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“All community life and infrastructure in these Shia villages and towns are an effective cover for terror purposes and Hezbollah activities,” he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the soldier’s death.
“Sergeant Major Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment in Montauban was killed this morning in southern Lebanon during an attack on UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon),” Macron said. “Three of his comrades were injured and evacuated.”
“All indications point to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack. France demands that Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and take responsibility together with UNIFIL,” Macron added.
However, Michael claimed that Macron’s response was inconsistent in some respects given the president’s involvement in the war.
Initially, France had called the Israeli attacks on Lebanon on April 8 “unbearable” and opposed a ground offensive.
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French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference in London, England on July 10, 2025. (Leon Neal)
Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter also expressed his desire to keep Macron out of the ceasefire negotiations, highlighting tensions surrounding his policies.
“When it comes to Hezbollah incursions against Israel, the French demand that Israel restrain and restrain, but when it comes to one of their soldiers, they are furious with Hezbollah,” Michael said.
“That said, Hezbollah has violated the ceasefire agreement from the very beginning,” Michael added.
Hezbollah has since denied the ambush, with the soldier’s death continuing to underline the volatility of the 10-day ceasefire, which came into effect on April 16.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in a statement, saying an initial assessment by the U.N. interim force in Lebanon found it was carried out by Hezbollah.
According to the US State Department, under the terms of the 2026 ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Lebanon, Israel retains the right to act in self-defense against threats, while Lebanon must take steps to prevent attacks by Hezbollah and other armed groups.
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Rescue workers search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit a busy neighborhood south of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)
Lebanese security forces have sole responsibility for national security, and both sides have asked the US to continue facilitating talks to resolve remaining issues.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also said it carried out attacks in response to what it described as “ceasefire violations by Hezbollah.”
Michael also highlighted Iran’s continued influence as Hezbollah operates in southern Lebanon as an “unchecked political force.”
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is still in charge of Hezbollah,” he added, before saying the Lebanese army is also “unwilling to fight or confront Hezbollah.”
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“Firstly, because of the Shia part of this army that identifies with Hezbollah, and secondly, because it fears that the confrontation with Hezbollah will lead to a civil war, a trauma they still have since the first one in 1975, which lasted fifteen years – until 1990.”
Michael added: “The Shia militia, which is also controlled by Iran, is not subordinate to state authority, allowing Hezbollah to operate as an unchecked political force within the Lebanese political system.”
