PM Netanyahu: Israel accepts Iran ceasefire if regime opens Hormuz Strait & stops attacks; fighting against Hezbollah continues
Last missile attack on Israel ends around 02:40 am local time, Iran strike Bahrain hours later.
After U.S. President Donald Trump’s dramatic overnight announcement of a two-week ceasefire, just hours before the end of his deadline, Israel confirmed it supports the deal while stressing that it doesn’t include Lebanon, where the IDF continued striking Hezbollah on Wednesday morning.
Early Wednesday, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office stated: “Israel supports President Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region.”
“Israel also supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran's Arab neighbors and the world. The United States has told Israel that it is committed to achieving these goals, shared by the US, Israel and Israel's regional allies, in the upcoming negotiations.”
Prime Minister’s Office:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 8, 2026
Israel supports President Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region.
Crucially, the statement concluded: “The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon.”
Shortly after, IDF Arabic Spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee published an evacuation notice for a Hezbollah target in the city of Tyre. He urged civilians, “To ensure your safety, evacuate your homes immediately and move north of the Zahrani River.”
Earlier statements by the U.S. did not explicitly state whether the truce was relevant for the Lebanese arena as well, where five divisions of the IDF have recently captured a line of hills some 8-10 km within Lebanese territory and are clearing the area of Hezbollah's infrastructure.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was reportedly involved in mediation efforts, had declared that Washington and Tehran “have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.”
#عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل ومتكرر لسكان مدينة صور وتحديدًا في شبريحا (العباسية)
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 8, 2026
⭕️نشاطات حزب الله الإرهابي تجبر جيش الدفاع على العمل ضده وبقوة. جيش الدفاع لا ينوي المساس بكم.
⭕️حرصًا على سلامتكم عليكم اخلاء منازلكم فورًا.
⭕لضمان سلامتكم أخلوا منازلكم فوراً وانتقلوا إلى شمال نهر… pic.twitter.com/GfqsHWQ0Oe
Sources close to Hezbollah also told Reuters in the morning that Hezbollah remains committed to the ceasefire despite the continuation of Israeli strikes and would later clarify its stance in an official statement.
Nevertheless, the IDF published an official statement in the late morning confirming that, “In accordance with the directives of the political echelon, the IDF has ceased fire in the campaign against Iran and is on high alert in defense and ready to respond to any violation.”
“At the same time, in Lebanon, the IDF continues fighting and ground operations against the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”
With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2026
I warmly welcome the…
Iran initially continued launching missile barrages at Israel even after Trump’s announcement. Later that night, the Iranian state news agency Tasnim News claimed that the ceasefire went into effect at 3:30 a.m. Iran time, meaning 03:00 Israel time.
Other state media also reported that the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had ordered all units to cease fire. The last missile attack on Israel ended around 02:40 am local time, though the Bahraini interior ministry stated hours later that two people were wounded in an Iranian drone attack in the Sitra area.
A “senior political source,” a phrase often indicating a semi-official briefing to media outlets by high-ranking government representatives, assured Israeli media outlets in the morning that Washington cleared the temporary ceasefire with Israel in advance.
“This is a move in which Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz without receiving in advance any of its demands, such as a commitment to a final end of the war, receiving compensation, the cancellation of the heavy sanctions against it, and more,” the source said.
He added that Trump administration officials had assured Israel that the U.S. will “firmly insist” on the removal of remaining nuclear material, a halt of enrichment, the end of the ballistic missile threat, and other Israeli demands.
“These are shared objectives of Israel and the United States,” the source said, claiming “Iran retreated from its demands and yielded to the demand to open the straits under the massive pounding of the regime’s infrastructure since the outbreak of the war, and even more so in recent days.”
The Iranian regime, however, claimed victory and alleged that the U.S. had agreed to its ten demands, including acceptance of its uranium enrichment program, the lifting of all sanctions, and, crucially, expanded Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Other demands include a U.S. military withdrawal from the Middle East, an end to attacks on Iran and its proxies, and other conditions that are unacceptable for Israel.
The Supreme National Security Council announced that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the two-week ceasefire, adding that negotiations would be held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, “in order to finalize the details within a maximum period of 15 days.”
Iran’s delegation will be led by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, while U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance will lead the American delegation.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
