Iran war live: Tens of thousands return to southern Lebanon after ceasefire announced
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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon “facilitated through bold and sagacious diplomatic efforts led by President Donald Trump,” via a statement on X.
Sharif added that “Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and will continue to support all efforts aimed at lasting peace in the region.”
The prime minister is currently on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East, following the first round of US-Iran talks hosted in Islamabad last week.
A Pakistan-flagged tanker has become the first crude carrier to exit through the Strait of Hormuz with a cargo since a US blockade began on Monday, according to ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic.
Shalamar sailed out into the Gulf of Oman late Thursday after loading around 450,000 barrels of crude at the UAE.
French President Emmanuel Macron backed the ceasefire announced on Thursday, but aired concern that it may already be compromised due to ongoing military operations.
"I fully support the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as announced by President Trump yesterday," Macron wrote in a post on X.
"I also express my concern that it may already be undermined by the continuation of military operations," he added. "I call for the safety of civilian populations on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah must renounce its weapons. Israel must respect Lebanese sovereignty and stop the war."
The Lebanese army indicated that Israel has committed several violations after the ceasefire came into effect on Friday.
Meanwhile state-owned media reported that the Israeli army carried out a "massive" demolition in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.
The Israeli army carried out a "massive" demolition in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam on Friday, the official Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Hours after a ceasefire came into effect, Israeli forces conducted a large-scale detonation in the town, located in the Marjayoun district.
Tens of thousands of those displaced from southern Lebanon are reportedly returning to their areas following a ceasefire deal with Israel, Anadolu Agency reports.
Footage circulating online shows citizens in droves driving back to their homes, despite earlier statements by the Lebanese army cautioning against returning to southern villages and towns due to Israeli attacks.
French Defence Minister said on Friday that European countries, such as Belgium, the Netherlands and France, have mine clearance capacity which could help secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
"There are capabilities to provide fully supported escort services – that is to say, in no way offensive, of course – for ships to ensure safe passage through the strait; that is what will be debated today in Paris," Catherine Vautrin told French TV station TF1
France and the UK are set to hold an international summit, with French President Emmanuel Macron's office indicating that about 30 countries will attend Friday’s talks, including some from the Middle East and Asia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that his country did not receive any "new requests" from the Washington to participate in military operations against Iran.
The remark comes in response to criticism from US President Donald Trump, who expressed he is "not happy with Australia" because it was "not there when we asked them to be there" in regards to the Strait of Hormuz.
Treasurer of Australia, Jim Chalmers, told reporters in Washington that he is not aware of any formal request from the US regarding this matter.
"I’m not interested in engaging with some kind of dispute with president Trump on these issues," he said.
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles shared similar sentiments, telling ABC radio on Friday that he is "not about to go into a running commentary on what the US president says," when asked about the governement's frustration with Trump's repeated disapproval.
Pope Leo XVI during a visit to Cameroon has slammed world leaders for manipulating religion for war.
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.”
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) April 17, 2026
Pope Leo XVI has said the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” during a visit to Cameroon, criticising world leaders for manipulating religion for war pic.twitter.com/XVQ0Zko1UK
A poll by the Israeli daily Maariv found that a majority of Israelis (62 percent) believe that Israel will return to fighting Iran in the near future.
According to the survey, 24 percent think the war will not restart and another 14 percent are unsure about the outcome.
Several countries have hailed the 10-day ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel that came into a few hours ago.
Statements have poured in from across the Arab world, including supportive remarks by Egypt, Syria, Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry was quick to welcome the agreement, praising the "tremendous efforts" made by Pakistan in mediating talks.
The European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen said the ceasefire came as a "relief", calling for "not just a temporary pause, but a path to permanent peace".
Countries across Europe have echoed similar sentiments.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump expressed in a post on his platform Truth Social that it may "have been a historic day for Lebanon. Good things are happening!!!"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has agreed to a “temporary ceasefire” with Lebanon to facilitate discussions, but rejected Hezbollah's demands for Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has agreed to a “temporary ceasefire” with Lebanon to facilitate discussions. However, he has rejected Hezbollah's demands for Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanon, stating that Israel will maintain a “security zone” pic.twitter.com/pzJPYWKSLQ
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) April 17, 2026
A lawmaker from Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc said the new ceasefire agreement with Israel must include a complete cessation of Israeli hostilities across Lebanon.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Ibrahim al-Moussawi said the Lebanese group would approach the 10-day truce cautiously and monitor developments closely.
He added that the deal was reached "under Iranian pressure, Pakistani efforts and Saudi cooperation".
The 10-day ceasefire between Beirut and Tel Aviv came into effect at midnight local time, with Lebanese citizens celebrating the news.
However, Israeli violations were reported early on Friday, including the intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday issued what may be his most explicit condemnation yet of the Trump administration's use of biblical invocations to justify the US-Israeli war on Iran, as tensions between the Vatican and the White House ramp up.
"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth," Pope Leo wrote on X, citing his own remarks on a visit to Cameroon.
"The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants," he said in his speech.
At almost the exact same time in Washington, DC, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was lecturing the press corps on Thursday by comparing them to Pharisees in the Bible - believed by Christians to be those who witnessed first-hand the miracles performed by Jesus Christ, yet chose not to believe.
The miracles in this case are presumably meant to be the US military's achievements in the seven-week war, which has killed more than 3,000 Iranians.
Read more: Pope Leo slams 'those who manipulate religion' for war, as White House invokes divine calling
Speaking to reporters, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said that Israel "will have to follow very carefully what is happening on the ground, and if we feel threatened, we will react".
Danny Danon said it was "too early" to determine whether a meeting between Israel and Lebanon will take place.
The statement comes hours after Lebanon and Israel reached a 10-day ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump said that the war in Iran is going "swimmingly" and that it "should be ending pretty soon."
“It should be ending pretty soon,” Trump said at an event in Las Vegas. "It was perfect. It’s perfect. It was the power we have... We had the most powerful military anywhere in the world."
