Tel Aviv, April 8: A significant diplomatic rift has surfaced regarding the geographic boundaries of the recently announced ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declared Wednesday that Lebanon is excluded from the temporary cessation of hostilities, directly challenging claims of a broader regional truce made by Pakistani leadership.
The Israeli government stated its support for the U.S. decision to pause strikes against Iran for a 14-day period, provided Tehran immediately reopens vital maritime corridors. This arrangement is also contingent upon the cessation of Iranian-led attacks against the U.S., Israel, and other regional neighbors. However, Israeli officials clarified that the “two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” maintaining that the scope of the understanding remains strictly limited and conditional.
“The understanding was limited in scope and conditional in nature,” the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office affirmed. It further noted that the United States has assured Israel of a continued commitment to neutralizing nuclear, missile, and terror threats originating from Iran through future negotiations with regional partners.
This position contradicts a previous announcement by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who asserted that an “immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere” was in effect. Sharif characterized the move as a “sagacious gesture” and invited representatives from the involved parties to Islamabad on April 10 to begin comprehensive peace talks. While Islamabad maintains the truce is all-encompassing, the conflicting directives from Jerusalem have introduced fresh uncertainty regarding the stability of the ceasefire across regional flashpoints.
