The leaders of Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire after meeting in Washington, President Donald Trump announced Thursday.
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the temporary ceasefire would begin at 5 p.m. ET.
In a follow-up, Trump added that he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House “for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since all those years ago in 1983.”
“Both sides want peace, and I believe it will happen soon!” Trump wrote.
In a statement late Thursday, the U.S. State Department said the two countries “work to create conditions conducive to lasting peace between our countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the establishment of true security along our shared borders, while preserving Israel’s inherent right of self-defense.”
“Both countries recognize the serious challenges facing the Lebanese state from non-state armed groups that undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and threaten regional stability,” the statement read, which was echoed by the Israeli and Lebanese governments.
President Trump told reporters outside the White House on Thursday afternoon that he believed a deal would be reached for Lebanon to “deal with Hezbollah,” referring to the Iranian-backed Islamic militia formed in the early 1980s.
These developments are raising hopes for an agreement between the United States and Israel to end the Middle East war that began against Iran on February 28th.
Israel launched a major military attack on Lebanon last week, prompting accusations from Iran that its own fragile two-week ceasefire had already been broken.
Despite US-Iranian peace talks in Pakistan ending without a deal over the weekend, President Trump said this week that the war is “very close to being over.” The White House on Wednesday expressed optimism about the “prospects for a deal.”
President Trump said in a speech outside the White House on Thursday afternoon that the next round of in-person negotiations could take place “possibly as early as the end of next week.”
Trump also indicated that a deal with Iran would “ideally” be reached before the ceasefire with the United States expires next Tuesday, but that he was prepared to extend it if necessary.
In a social media post announcing the ceasefire in Lebanon, President Trump declared that he had just concluded a “great dialogue” with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister Aoun.
President Trump wrote that the two leaders entered into the agreement “to achieve peace between our countries.”
President Trump added that Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine “will work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve lasting peace.”
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