Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire becomes first test of Trump Iran framework after talks delay

By Fox News · Fox News

A U.S.-backed ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah was set to take effect Friday afternoon, as Washington tried to salvage a broader regional framework with Iran after talks scheduled for Switzerland were abruptly postponed. The Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire was set to take effect 9 a.m. Eastern Time/4 p.m. local time, both a senior U.S. and an Israeli official told Fox News Digital, but whether the ceasefire formally took effect remains disputed. The White House has not publicly commented on whether the ceasefire has formally taken effect. A Hezbollah spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the group would abide by the ceasefire if Israel does, but "reserves the right to respond" to any violation. The spokesperson said Hezbollah did not yet view the ceasefire as having taken effect, claiming Israel was still carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon more than an hour after it was supposed to begin. ISRAEL MOVES TOWARDS CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH HEZBOLLAH: REPORTS Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video after the 4 p.m. local start time that he said showed Israel Defense Forces striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. It is unclear when those reported strikes took place, and Fox News Digital could not independently verify their timing. "As I instructed - the IDF struck powerfully 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and eliminated dozens of terrorists," he wrote on X. IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said Hezbollah had killed four Israeli soldiers in overnight strikes early Friday. Still, an Israeli official said Israel intends to honor the ceasefire agreement. "If Hezbollah doesn’t shoot, we won’t shoot. If they shoot — we will respond," the official told Fox News Digital. The agreement came after negotiations between the U.S. and Iran scheduled to take place this weekend in Switzerland were abruptly postponed. The White House has not publicly provided a reason for the delay. Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Netanyahu over the confl…