'Finger on the trigger' in case Israel violates ceasefire, says Hezbollah

A high-stakes, 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon officially took effect at 5:00 PM EST on Thursday (Apr 16), silencing the guns after a period of devastating escalation. Brokered directly by US President Donald Trump, the truce is being hailed by Washington as a "historic window" for peace, though military commanders on both sides of the Blue Line describe the calm as "extremely fragile."While Hezbollah said Friday (Apr 17) that it was keeping its "finger on the trigger" in case of any Israeli violations of a ceasefire that went into effect overnight.

In a statement, the group said and as quoted in news agency AFP, it had carried out "2,184 military operations" against Israel and its troops inside Lebanon, adding: "The fighters will keep their finger on the trigger because they are wary of the enemy's treachery."

The agreement follows weeks of intense military pressure, most notably Israel’s "Operation Eternal Darkness," which targeted Hezbollah’s command infrastructure. While the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have halted offensive strikes, they remain stationed in a strategic "security buffer" in southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled that while Israel is prepared for a diplomatic breakthrough, the military remains at peak readiness.

Hezbollah, though not a formal signatory to the state-level deal, issued a defiant statement through its media channels. Claiming over 2,100 successful operations during the recent conflict, the group warned it keeps its "finger on the trigger," citing a deep-seated wariness of "enemy treachery."

As the first day of the truce unfolds, the Lebanese Army has cautioned thousands of displaced civilians against a premature return to border villages, citing the risk of unexploded ordnance and the volatile presence of ground troops. Diplomacy now moves to Washington, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to host formal delegations. The world now watches to see if this ten-day pause can evolve into the permanent regional settlement President Trump has promised.