Trump says Israel and Lebanon agreed to 10-day ceasefire

Spain's National Intelligence Center (CNI) has withdrawn all its operational agents from Lebanon and Syria, according to sources cited by ABC. The decision, made before Easter, was not initiated by the intelligence service itself but was a political choice made exclusively by the government, specifically under the authority of Defense Minister Margarita Robles and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. The move comes as the region faces a separate but related diplomatic development: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon would hold their first direct high-level contact in 34 years, scheduled for Thursday, following a meeting in Washington between representatives of both countries under U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The planned conversation between Israeli and Lebanese leaders represents a potential breakthrough, even as Israel continues its military offensive that has killed more than 2,000 people, wounded 6,000, displaced 1.2 million, and occupied 10 percent of Lebanese territory. Lebanon enters negotiations with a single priority: an immediate ceasefire. Israel, meanwhile, refuses to halt its attacks until Hezbollah is disarmed and demands that Lebanon renounce the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which includes recognition of a Palestinian state. The two positions remain far apart, with Lebanon facing an existential crisis while Israel insists on preconditions before any cessation of hostilities. The exclusion of Hezbollah from the direct negotiations complicates prospects for a lasting agreement, as the Iran-backed group remains a key actor on the ground. Spain currently has 650 military personnel deployed with the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which both Israel and Hezbollah have harassed. Observers note that while Hezbollah's attacks on Israeli civilians have provided political cover for Israel's aggression, Israel's implementation of what critics call a "Gaza model" in Lebanon, including mass destruction and forced displacement, constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law. No realistic or durable solution can be achieved without the involvement of the international community represented by the United Nations.