Explosions reverberated across southern Lebanon early Friday as a fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon faced immediate tests on its second day.

The truce, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and mediated by Washington, took effect at 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, April 16, halting six weeks of intense fighting that began in early March amid the broader 2026 Israel-Hezbollah conflict linked to the Iran war. The agreement calls for a cessation of hostilities to allow negotiations on border security, a buffer zone, and Hezbollah disarmament, with Israel retaining self-defense rights and troops in place for an 8-10 kilometer security zone in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon's army reported multiple Israeli violations on Friday morning, including attacks and intermittent shelling on villages in the Nabatieh Governorate. Israeli forces allegedly fired machine guns and artillery at an ambulance team in Kunin, causing casualties, according to Lebanese sources. Witnesses described blasts in border areas like Nabatieh, where thick smoke rose from strikes just before the truce.

Israel has not confirmed new strikes but stated its forces would continue demolishing Hezbollah infrastructure in controlled villages to prevent future threats. Local media reported explosions from Israeli troops blowing up homes in frontier towns, part of efforts to create a secure buffer against rocket launches. The Israeli Defense Forces accused Hezbollah of violations, including booby-trapped buildings that injured soldiers shortly after the ceasefire began.

Pre-ceasefire violence peaked with a massive Israeli airstrike on Tyre late Thursday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 35, as rescue teams pulled bodies from rubble four minutes before the deadline. A boy later died in Majdal Selm from an unexploded remnant, bringing recent southern Lebanon deaths to 14 amid the transition.

The United Nations peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, noted no major projectiles on the first day but observed airspace violations and shelling. Hezbollah expressed a "cautious commitment" while criticizing the Lebanese government, and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that military objectives against the group remain unmet.

The conflict, erupting on March 2, has killed over 2,000 in Lebanon, displaced more than one million, and prompted Israeli ground operations to neutralize Hezbollah rocket sites threatening northern communities. Hezbollah fired barrages into Israel, killing soldiers and civilians. The ceasefire offers a narrow window for diplomacy, but mutual accusations signal risks of escalation.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged unity to enforce the truce, while displaced residents hesitated to return south amid ongoing demolitions and uncertainty. Thousands had begun heading home Thursday, only to face renewed blasts.