By Amanda CastroLive Blog EditorIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops will remain in their positions across southern Lebanon throughout the 10‑day ceasefire, insisting the military will hold an expanded buffer zone despite the pause in fighting.In a video statement released shortly after President Donald Trump announced the truce, Netanyahu said Israel would stay inside a 10‑kilometer security zone designed to prevent infiltration and anti‑tank missile attacks. He described the area as larger and more fortified than the zone Israel maintained after the November 2024 ceasefire....What to Know“That is where we will remain. We are not leaving,” Netanyahu said, framing the ceasefire as a window to continue negotiations with Lebanon. He confirmed that Trump had invited him and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington, D.C. for talks, though Aoun earlier declined to join a phone call with Netanyahu due to ongoing Israeli strikes.Trump says Israel and Lebanon will halt hostilities for 10 days, beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern.The Lebanese prime minister said the government “welcomed” the announcement, but Hezbollah has not commented.Israel also offered no immediate public response to Trump’s claim.The Israel–Hezbollah fighting has strained the U.S.–Iran cease-fire, which ends next week.Iran insists any truce must extend to Lebanon — a position Washington and Jerusalem reject.Trump said he has directed senior aides to work with both sides to “achieve a Lasting PEACE.”He also plans to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for talks.The announcement came hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran that U.S. forces are prepared to strike power plants and energy sites if Tehran refuses a deal.Hegseth said the naval blockade of Iranian ports will continue “as long as it takes.”Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. forces could expand ship interceptions beyond the Middle East into the Pacific.Iran has threatened to halt trade across the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Red Sea in response to the blockade.Analysts say the blockade will tighten economic pressure on Iran but may not force major concessions.Pakistan says it expects to host a second round of U.S.–Iran talks but has not announced a date.Stay with Newsweek for the latest updates.Apr 16, 2026 at 08:10 PM EDTJD Vance ‘had it backwards’ in remark about the Pope: Scott JenningsScott Jennings, former adviser to President George W. Bush, said that he thinks Vice President JD Vance "had it backwards" when he said that Pope Leo XIV should "be careful" when he speaks about theology.Jennings' remark comes days after the pontiff welcomed a ceasefire in the Iran war and after President Donald Trump accused the pope of being “weak on crime.”Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment late Wednesday night.Leo’s praise of a ceasefire in the Middle East and his condemnation of violence somewhat escala