Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire following high-level discussions in Washington, United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday, marking a potential step towards broader de-escalation in the Middle East.
The temporary truce will begin at 5 pm ET (9 pm GMT), Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social, after officials from both countries engaged in talks facilitated by the United States.
In a subsequent post, Trump said 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 1983, a very long time ago”.
“Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!” Trump wrote.
The U.S. State Department later said in a joint statement that both nations “will work to create conditions conducive to lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border, while preserving Israel’s inherent right to self-defense”.
“Both countries recognise the significant challenges faced by the Lebanese state from non-state armed groups, which undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and threaten regional stability,” the statement added.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump indicated that a longer-term arrangement could involve Lebanon addressing the presence of Hezbollah within its borders.
Trump said he believes an agreement will be struck in which Lebanon is “going to take care of Hezbollah”, referring to the Iran-backed Islamist militia group established in the early 1980s.
The ceasefire announcement comes amid rising expectations for a broader resolution to the Middle East conflict, which escalated after the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran on 28 February.
Tensions had intensified in recent days after Israel conducted heavy strikes on Lebanon, prompting Iran to accuse Israel of breaching a fragile two-week ceasefire agreement.
Although recent U.S.-Iran negotiations held in Pakistan ended without a breakthrough, Trump reiterated this week that the war is “very close to over”, while the White House has expressed optimism about “the prospects of a deal”.
The next round of in-person talks between U.S. and Iranian officials could take place “probably, maybe, next weekend”, Trump said on Thursday.
