Israel agrees to 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon as U.S. pushes for broader peace deal

[0:00] Welcome to the NewsHour. President Trump announced a ceasefire deal today that would [0:04] suspend fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for 10 days. Hezbollah has not said whether it [0:10] will comply with the ceasefire, which took effect a short time ago. President Trump also says [0:15] leaders from Israel and Lebanon are expected to meet soon in hopes of reaching a broader peace [0:20] agreement. Our Stephanie Sy begins our coverage. In cities across southern Lebanon today, [0:30] cries of anguish. At least four paramedics whose mission was saving lives suddenly stripped of [0:37] their own by another Israeli attack on emergency personnel. Early today, Israel bombed another town [0:45] in southern Lebanon, barely visible here, engulfed in plumes of smoke. Another attack turned a critical [0:53] bridge into rubble. It was the last link for almost a tenth of southern Lebanon to the rest of the [0:58] country. Hours later, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on social media and said [1:04] he spoke to both the Israeli and Lebanese presidents. I had a great talk with both of them today. They're [1:10] going to be having a ceasefire and that'll include Hezbollah. He also announced a meeting between the [1:17] nation's leaders. It's very exciting. I think we're going to have a deal. We're going to have a meeting [1:22] first time in 44 years and Lebanon will be meeting with Israel and they're probably going to do it at [1:28] the White House. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a potential peace agreement [1:33] between Israel and Lebanon a historic opportunity, but added Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon [1:40] and that a potential peace deal must include the dismantling of Hezbollah. To achieve this ceasefire, [1:48] Hezbollah insisted on two conditions. First, that Israel must withdraw from all Lebanese territory [1:53] back to the international border. Second, a ceasefire based on the quiet-for-quiet model. [1:59] I agreed to neither of these. Netanyahu also hinted at a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon, [2:07] describing a security zone that would stretch the length of the Israeli border. [2:12] That is where we are and we are not leaving, he said. But in a statement to the NewsHour, Hezbollah said, [2:18] Any ceasefire must be comprehensive across all Lebanese territory and must not allow the Israeli [2:25] enemy any freedom of movement. Regarding Israeli presence, the existence of Israeli occupation on [2:31] our land grants Lebanon and its people the right to resist it. Hezbollah's major sponsor, Iran, [2:37] still holds sway over a key strategic asset, the Strait of Hormuz, although Defense Secretary [2:43] Pete Hegseth denied that was the case today. You can't control anything. To be clear, [2:51] threatening to shoot missiles and drones at ships, commercial ships that are lawfully transiting [2:58] international waters, that is not control. That's piracy. That's terrorism. The United States Navy [3:08] controls the traffic going in and out of the Strait because we have real assets and real capabilities. [3:14] There are at least 800 ships stuck in the Persian Gulf right now, afraid to enter the volatile [3:21] strait. Despite that, President Trump sounded a note of optimism. [3:26] We have a very good relationship with Iran right now, as hard as it is to believe. [3:31] And I think it's a combination of about four weeks of bombing and a very powerful blockade. [3:37] The blockade is maybe more powerful than the bombing. [3:41] The U.S. military is supplementing the blockade with active interdiction operations beyond the [3:47] Middle East. As the U.S. unleashes what it calls Operation Economic Fury on Iran, [3:54] American allies are also feeling the pain. With oil supplies choked, the head of the [3:59] International Energy Agency warned that Europe has, quote, maybe six weeks of jet fuel left. [4:06] What is happening now is the largest energy crisis we have ever faced in the history. [4:17] It is a huge amount of oil, which is vital for the global economy. [4:24] Tensions in the Strait are pushing economies, and the U.S.-Iran ceasefire to the brink. [4:30] For the PBS NewsHour, I'm Stephanie Tsai. [4:34] Support journalism you trust. Support PBS News. Donate now, or even better, [4:40] start a monthly contribution today.