Germany welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying it hopes the truce can pave the way for a “future as good neighbors” for Israel and Lebanon.
The 10-day truce announced by US President Donald Trump “can offer people on both sides of the border an important respite,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says in a statement.
He says direct talks launched this week in Washington — the first since 1993 — open the door to “a future as good neighbors” provided “Israel’s legitimate security interests and Lebanon’s right to territorial integrity and sovereignty” are both respected.
He adds that the two sides must now work on border security, civilian protection along the Blue Line and the safety of UN peacekeepers deployed with UNIFIL.
“Lasting security in the region will only be possible with the effective disarmament of Hezbollah,” he says, adding it is now up to the Lebanese government to “implement this effectively.”
The foreign minister thanks Washington “for its efforts as mediator, particularly over the past few days.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
