Lebanese army reports ceasefire violations

The ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel entered into effect at midnight on Thursday, but within approximately three hours the Lebanese Army reported multiple violations by Israel, including attacks and intermittent bombings against several villages in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese armed forces issued a statement urging citizens to refrain from returning to towns and villages in the south, warning that the violations pose a significant danger to the population. Additionally, a Lebanese military patrol was targeted by armed men in the Bab al Tabane neighborhood of Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, resulting in one soldier killed and two others wounded while attempting to disperse a clash involving heavy weapons fire. The army confirmed it has initiated operations to apprehend those responsible for the Tripoli attack and has opened an investigation under judicial supervision. Separately, Lebanese authorities warned that numerous citizens fired weapons and rockets into the air following the ceasefire announcement, describing the practice as dangerous and vowed to prosecute violators. Israeli Defense Forces, for their part, stated they would maintain their positions in southern Lebanon and urged Lebanese residents not to move south of the Litani River for security reasons. The 10-day ceasefire was announced Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump following what he described as excellent phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, whom he said he could receive at the White House within the next four to five days. Meanwhile, celebrations erupted in Beirut and its suburbs with gunfire and apparent rocket launches echoing through the capital following the truce, which comes after weeks of attacks that left nearly 2,200 dead. Iran welcomed the ceasefire with satisfaction, stating it was part of the broader truce agreement reached with the United States and calling for Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanese territory. Trump also described the ongoing conflict with Iran as a "small intervention" necessary to prevent nuclear weapons development, asserting it should end relatively soon.