Israel says Lebanon ceasefire remains incomplete

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said the extended ceasefire in Lebanon remains fragile, warning that it is “not 100%” and questioning whether the Lebanese government can enforce it in the south, where Iran-backed Hezbollah operates.

“I have to be honest,” he told CNN’s Jim Sciutto. “You know, the Lebanese government have no control of Hezbollah and Hezbollah is sending rockets trying to sabotage the ceasefire. And Israel, we have to retaliate. Every time we see a threat, we take action.”

The ceasefire extension followed negotiations at the White House between Lebanese and Israeli diplomats. Danon said the updated arrangement marked an improvement compared to previous conditions, but cautioned that its success depends on enforcement. “It’s a significantly better situation. It’s not 100%. I hope …to see that the Lebanese military are actually able to implement and to enforce this ceasefire.”

On April 24, US President Donald Trump announced that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would be extended by three weeks after talks in Washington between the countries’ envoys. Writing on Truth Social, he said the meeting “went very well” and added that the United States would work with Lebanon “to help it protect itself from Hezbollah.”

The truce, originally announced after a meeting in Washington last week, had been due to expire on Sunday. It aims to end more than seven weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah had previously agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024, following which Israel carried out near-daily strikes on targets and individuals allegedly linked to the group.

Tensions escalated again after the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah responded on March 2 by launching rockets and drones into Israel.

By Tamilla Hasanova