Israel and Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire, Trump says
Illustrative photo: Israel agrees to ceasefire with Lebanon (Getty Images)
Ceasefire announcement
According to Trump, he had "excellent conversations" with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"These two leaders have agreed that in order to achieve peace between their countries, they will formally begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 p.m. EST," Trump wrote.
He noted that the first talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives since 1993 took place in the United States this week. He instructed Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve lasting peace.
The President also added that he would invite Benjamin Netanyahu and Joseph Aoun to a meeting at the White House.
Lebanon’s reaction
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire.
"I welcome the announcement of the ceasefire declared by President Trump, which is a central Lebanese demand we have pursued since the first day of the war, and was our primary goal in the Washington meeting on Tuesday," Salam said.
Netanyahu’s reaction
The Israeli Prime Minister has already informed members of the security cabinet that he agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon at the request of the US President.
"When Israel’s greatest friend, President Trump, is acting alongside us in close coordination, Israel cooperates with him," Netanyahu said.
According to him, the Israel Defense Forces will remain at the "strategic points" they currently hold during the 10-day truce.
This came after Israeli ministers expressed outrage at learning about the ceasefire through the media.
Why it matters
According to CNN, the truce could become an important step toward reaching a peace agreement with Iran.
After the announcement on April 7 of a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States, Israel continued to carry out airstrikes on groups operating in Lebanon with Tehran’s support. Iran said such actions violate the agreements and threaten the fragile truce with the US.
The United States and Israel argued that Lebanon was not part of the agreement with Iran, calling Tehran’s position a misunderstanding.
At the same time, according to sources cited by the outlet, officials from the Trump administration were working behind the scenes to persuade Israel to halt its offensive, fearing it could derail diplomatic efforts with Iran.
Israel–Hezbollah war
In early March, Israel announced the launch of an offensive campaign against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. The decision followed massive overnight missile and drone attacks from the group.
Chief of Staff of Israel Defense Forces Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the operation would include a series of offensive waves.
Even after the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, Israel continued its operation against Hezbollah. Against this backdrop, Iranian officials began demanding that Israeli forces also cease fire.
