As 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect from midnight of April 16, 2026. The truce, announced by US President Donald Trump, could offer some relief to Lebanese civilians who have been facing relentless attacks from Israeli air and ground forces since March.

More than 2,100 Lebanese have been killed in Israeli strikes since March 2026. The attacks – a combo of air and ground operations -- have injured over 7,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million across Lebanon. 

But even as the bombardment continued, with Hezbollah putting up enough resistance to slow Israeli troop advances, Lebanese and Israeli representatives gathered in Washington DC earlier this week for peace talks, and the ceasefire announced by Mr Trump was the outcome.

Will it be respected by Israel and the Hezbollah militia, given reports of violations in the early hours of the ceasefire? How will Lebanon disarm Hezbollah – a key demand of the Israelis during the talks? And what is needed for this truce to yield long-term peace? 

Guest: Iftikhar Gilani, senior Indian journalist based in Ankara, Turkey.

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