US President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that will come into effect Thursday.
Trump said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, and that he would be inviting both to the White House for “meaningful talks,” adding that the truce would come into effect at 5 pm EST. “Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!,” he wrote on his Truth Social network.
Israel launched a military campaign in southern Lebanon in early March, just days after the start of the war in Iran. Israel’s Lebanon assault started after Hezbollah lobbed a series of rockets at northern Israel. There was no mention of Hezbollah in Trump’s announcement on Thursday, and it was unclear if the Iran-backed group would adhere to a ceasefire.
Israel and Lebanon met for talks in Washington earlier this week, which the White House hailed as a “historic milestone.” It was the first time both sides had met for such negotiations since 1993.