Israel and Lebanon agree 10-day ceasefire, says Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5pm ⁠EST (10pm Irish time), signalling a pause in Israel's conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has raged in parallel to the war with Iran.

Mr Trump's statement, posted on Truth Social, did not specify which day the ceasefire would begin but a US official said it would start today.

Pakistan had earlier said that peace in Lebanon was essential for talks it is mediating to end the war between the United States and Iran.

Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group had been informed by Iran's ambassador ‌to Lebanon that a one-week ceasefire ⁠could begin this evening.

Asked if Hezbollah would commit to the truce, Mr Fadlallah said everything was tied to Israel's commitment to halt all forms of hostilities, and credited Iran's diplomatic efforts for the possible ceasefire.

Another Hezbollah lawmaker, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, said that the Lebanese group would respect a ceasefire, if Israeli attacks on the militants stopped.

"We in Hezbollah will cautiously adhere to the ceasefire on the condition that it is a comprehensive halt to hostilities against us and that Israel not use it to carry out any assassinations," he said.

"We express thanks to Iran for having applied pressure in Lebanon's favour," he said, adding that "the ceasefire would not have happened without Iran considering the ceasefire as equal to closing the Strait of Hormuz".

Mr Trump said he had held excellent conversations with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Israeli ‌cabinet source said Mr Netanyahu's security cabinet had convened for an urgent discussion on the Lebanon ceasefire.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he "welcomes" US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 10-day ceasefire with Israel.

Mr Salam said he welcomes the ceasefire, "which is a key Lebanese demand that we have pursued since the very first day of the war" between Hezbollah and Israel, after Mr Trump announced the temporary truce following phone calls with the presidents of the two countries.

"As I congratulate all Lebanese on this achievement, I pray for mercy upon the martyrs who have fallen, and I affirm my solidarity with their families," Mr Salam said, thanking a number of European and Arab states for their "efforts" to reach a ceasefire.

The US-Israeli war with Iran spilt into Lebanon ⁠on 2 March, when Iran-backed Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran, prompting an Israeli ‌offensive in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major conflict.

Israeli attacks have ⁠killed more ‌than 2,100 people in Lebanon since 2 March and forced more than 1.2 million to flee, Lebanese authorities say.

Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians, while 13 Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon since 2 March, Israel says.

An ⁠Israeli security official said the Israeli military had no plans to withdraw forces from southern Lebanon ⁠during any ceasefire.

Mr Trump, in another social media post, said he will be inviting Mr Netanyahu and Mr Aoun to the White House for "meaningful talks" between the two countries, which have remained in an official state of war since Israel was established in 1948.

Fighting in southern Lebanon has continued, with a senior Lebanese security official saying an Israeli strike had severed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country.

One person was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a car on the road that links to Syria, the state news agency said.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on either strike.

Stock markets have rallied strongly in recent days on expectations of a swift resolution to the fighting, with global equities vaulting past their previous all-time highs in trading.

However, oil prices gained, showing continued uncertainty about the ceasefire prospects and the opening of the strait.

Breakthrough on 'sticky issues' between US and Iran

Hopes of a deal between Iran and the United ‌States have also been growing, after nearly seven weeks of war.

A security source said a Pakistani mediator had made a breakthrough on "sticky issues", although Tehran said the fate of its nuclear program ⁠had not been resolved.

The US and Pakistan have been talking up prospects for a deal after nearly seven weeks ‌of war, with Mr Trump saying the accord would open the Strait of Hormuz, through which ⁠a fifth of the ‌world's oil and gas supply flows.

Closure of the strait has caused the worst oil price shock in history and forced the International Monetary Fund to downgrade its outlook for the global economy, warning prolonged conflict could push the world to the brink of recession.

Pakistan's army chief and Field Marshal ⁠Asim Munir, an important figure in mediation efforts, arrived in Tehran yesterday to try to prevent a renewal of the conflict ⁠after talks in Islamabad that ended without a deal.

A senior Iranian official said today the trip had led to greater hopes for a second round of talks and an extension of a two-week ceasefire, but said fundamental differences remain over its nuclear program.

The war began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February, triggering Iranian attacks on Iran's Gulf neighbours and reigniting the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. Soaring energy costs have rattled investors ‌and policymakers globally.

Ceasefire welcomed by EU's von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ⁠welcomed the announcement of the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and reiterated that Europe would continue to ‌call ⁠for the respect of Lebanon's territorial integrity.

"I welcome the announced 10 day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by ‌President Trump. This is a relief, ⁠as this conflict has ‌already claimed far too many lives," ‌Ms von der Leyen wrote on X.

"Europe will continue to call for the ⁠full respect of Lebanon's sovereignty and ⁠territorial integrity. And we will keep supporting the Lebanese people through substantial humanitarian aid," she added.

Analysis: Lebanon ceasefire agreement significant on number of fronts