A fragile truce with Israel has begun in Lebanon. What the media is writing
A ten-day ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group has begun in Lebanon. The fragile truce between them is part of the agreement reached between the United States and Iran on the cessation of hostilities. US President Donald Trump has said that the war with Tehran should end soon. How the world's media react to what is happening in the Middle East is in the Izvestia article.
Associated Press: A ten-day truce has come into force in Lebanon
On the morning of April 17, a ten-day truce began in Lebanon, promising a pause in the fighting between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah. Perhaps it will remove one of the main obstacles on the way to an agreement between Iran, the United States and Israel on ending the weeks-long destructive war. However, it remains unclear whether Israel will completely stop attacks on Hezbollah and whether this militant group will recognize the agreement, which it did not participate in negotiations on and which provides for the occupation of parts of southern Lebanon by Israeli troops.
Associated Press
Gunfire rang out in Beirut, residents fired into the air after midnight, celebrating the start of the truce, and displaced families began moving towards southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, despite warnings from authorities not to try to return to their homes until it became clear whether the ceasefire would be respected.
Ending Israel's war with Hezbollah was a key demand of the Iranian negotiators, who had previously accused Israel of violating the current cease-fire agreement by attacking Lebanon. Israel has stated that this agreement does not apply to Lebanon. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had agreed to a cease-fire "to advance" peace efforts with Lebanon, but at the same time noted that Israeli troops would not be withdrawn.
The Washington Post: Israel signed the agreement with the support of the United States
After midnight in Lebanon, a tentative ten-day truce was greeted with jubilant gunfire as a U.S.-brokered agreement promising to end Israeli strikes on the country took effect. The ceasefire was announced on April 16 by President Donald Trump and confirmed by Benjamin Netanyahu. The agreement was concluded without the participation of Hezbollah, which Israel has been fighting against and which has made ambiguous statements about whether it recognizes it.
The Washington Post
"The cease-fire must include a complete cessation of attacks throughout Lebanon, the absence of freedom of movement for Israeli forces, and a return to the situation that existed before March 2," when the current round of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began, the group said in a statement.
On the eve of the beginning of the truce, a series of strikes followed. The Israeli military said at least 40 strikes had been carried out by Lebanon since Trump announced the cease-fire, and Lebanese state media reported "massive airstrikes" in several regions. The State Department said the cease-fire was a "gesture of goodwill" on the part of Israel, which would retain "the right to take all necessary measures in self-defense." The Lebanese Government is expected to take steps to prevent attacks on Israel by Hezbollah and other groups.
Reuters: Trump says the war with Iran should end soon
Trump expressed confidence that an agreement on ending the war with Iran would be reached soon and called on the Tehran-backed Hezbollah group to refrain from firing in connection with the entry into force of the ten-day truce between Lebanon and Israel. He said the next meeting between the U.S. and Iran could take place over the weekend of April 18 and 19, and an extension of the two-week truce is possible, but may not be necessary because Tehran wants to make a deal.
Reuters
"Let's see what happens next. But I think we are very close to concluding a deal with Iran," he told reporters at the White House, adding that if an agreement is reached and signed in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, he may travel there on this occasion. A few hours later, while in Las Vegas, Trump went even further, saying that the war "should end soon."
Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu and his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun and planned to invite them to the White House for "meaningful talks" that could take place over the next one to two weeks. Iran insists that any peace agreement must also cover the fighting in Lebanon. In one of his previous posts, Trump called on Hezbollah to observe the ceasefire.
Bloomberg: It will take months to conclude an agreement between the United States and Iran
According to Gulf officials, some Arab and European leaders believe it will take about six months for a peace agreement between the United States and Iran to be reached, and that the warring parties should extend the ceasefire for that period. The leaders insist on the immediate opening of the vital Strait of Hormuz to restore energy flows and privately warn that if this is not possible, a global food crisis could arise by next month.
Bloomberg
Energy prices are likely to rise even more if the war drags on, they said. After this news, Brent crude continued to grow, rising in price by about 4.5% per day and exceeding the mark of $ 99 per barrel. According to officials, the Gulf states believe that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, and this has not changed after the US-Israeli bombing of the country. Therefore, they believe that the peace agreement should prohibit Iran from enriching uranium or having long-range ballistic missiles.
Washington and Tehran are considering extending the truce for two weeks, which expires on April 22. This will allow them to allocate more time for negotiations on a peace agreement. There is no guarantee that both sides will be able to agree on an extension of the ceasefire, let alone reach a formal peace agreement.
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