U.S. President Donald Trump called for restraint as a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, saying he hopes the group will “act nicely” during what he described as a critical moment.
“I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It will be a great moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have peace.”
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Joseph Aoun, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP, ANWAR AMRO/AFP, shutterstock, Shalev Shalom)
The ceasefire, which came into force at midnight, followed hours of rocket fire from Lebanon into northern Israel, underscoring the fragility of the truce.
Sirens sounded across Nahariya and nearby communities, including Evron, Liman, Shlomi and Gesher HaZiv, as barrages were launched toward the Western Galilee and surrounding areas.
Magen David Adom said its teams were dispatched to multiple impact sites. In Nahariya, a person was moderately wounded and vehicles caught fire at the scene. In the Karmiel area, medics treated several casualties, including a man in his mid-20s and a 17-year-old girl who were seriously wounded. The man was believed to have been riding a motorcycle at the time of the strike.
Emergency crews also treated several people for acute anxiety.
The IDF said that following the fire toward Nahariya and Karmiel, it was preparing for the possibility of an expansion of attacks from Lebanon, with northern Israel as the primary focus. At the same time, the military said there was no change to Home Front Command guidelines.
Lebanese state media, citing Reuters, reported that Israeli forces continued artillery fire in southern Lebanon after the ceasefire took effect. The Lebanese army urged residents of southern Lebanon to delay returning to their homes, citing continued Israeli shelling. The IDF had not immediately responded to the claims.
The exchange of fire in the hours leading up to the ceasefire highlights the uncertainty surrounding the agreement and whether it will hold.
For residents in northern Israel, the truce follows a period of sustained attacks that left multiple casualties and damage across several communities.
It remains unclear whether the ceasefire marks a lasting halt to hostilities or a temporary pause in fighting, as both sides remain on high alert.