Lebanon reacts to US‑Iran peace deal amid ongoing Israeli strikes

The United States and Iran announced a peace agreement that ends hostilities on all fronts, includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and calls for an immediate cessation of military operations in Lebanon. The deal, mediated by Pakistan and set for signing in Switzerland, was confirmed by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and U.S. President Donald Trump, who authorized the removal of the U.S. naval blockade.

Lebanese citizens celebrated the news, gathering in streets, waving flags and honking horns across the country as images of midnight festivities spread online. The prospect of an end to fighting was welcomed after months of tension and displacement.

Despite the agreement, Israel rejected any binding effect on its operations. Defence Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir publicly stated that Israel will not withdraw from territories it holds in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza and warned of “great force” if Iran attacks. Israeli airstrikes continued in southern Lebanon, killing at least one civilian in Maarakeh and demolishing homes and municipal buildings in Bint Jbeil, raising concerns over the durability of the cease‑fire.

The Israeli campaign has also threatened civilian infrastructure, with reports that civil‑registry records in the Bint Jbeil district may have been destroyed, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands of Lebanese unable to prove property ownership. Efforts to retrieve the records through the International Committee of the Red Cross have been blocked, complicating post‑conflict reconstruction.