United States President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The truce is set to commence on Thursday at 5 PM US East Coast time (21:00 GMT), Trump stated on social media following discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the announcement via a post on X, characterizing the ceasefire as “a central Lebanese demand we have pursued since the first day of the war” and the primary objective of Tuesday’s meeting between Lebanese and Israeli officials in the US.
Lebanon became involved in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on March 2, when Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Lebanese armed group, launched rockets towards Israel. This action was a response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28 in an Israeli strike, which occurred on the first day of the war on Iran.
Israeli forces retaliated with an intense campaign that has resulted in over 2,196 deaths in Lebanon and thousands more wounded. Israel has also issued forced evacuation orders impacting approximately 15 percent of Lebanese territory.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that strikes over the past two days have killed nine people in the southern district of Tyre, including a paramedic.
Salam also offered prayers for the victims and expressed hope that the more than one million people displaced from their homes due to Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Lebanon would be able to return “as soon as possible”.
Trump indicated he would invite Netanyahu and Aoun for direct talks, stating that both parties wished to resolve their differences and he believed “that will happen quickly”. He further mentioned that he had instructed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, to pursue a lasting settlement.
Hezbollah’s Stance on the Ceasefire
Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi informed AFP on Thursday that the group would adhere to the US-brokered ceasefire, provided that Israeli attacks on its fighters completely cease. The ceasefire follows an intense week of diplomatic efforts.
On Tuesday, Lebanese and Israeli envoys held their countries’ first direct diplomatic contact in decades in Washington, DC. These talks were hosted by Rubio. Both sides characterized the discussions as positive, although Aoun declined to speak directly with Netanyahu, a government official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press news agency, adding that Washington “understands Lebanon’s position”.
Al Jazeera’s chief US correspondent, Alan Fisher, reported from the White House that Trump had attempted to arrange a phone call between both leaders, but the Lebanese side refused prior to the implementation of any ceasefire. Fisher noted that the ceasefire in Lebanon was a demand from Iran, which had indicated its desire for a deal and potential agreement, but emphasized that the fighting in Lebanon needed to cease first. “If putting a little bit of pressure on the Lebanese and the Israelis brings that to fruition, Donald Trump saw the opportunity here and thought he would absolutely do that,” Fisher added. Fisher suggested that this ceasefire could pave the way for a broader agreement involving Iran.
A separate two-week US-Iran ceasefire, which the US and Israel clarified does not include Lebanon, is set to expire on Wednesday. A new round of negotiations for this broader ceasefire is anticipated in Pakistan. Iran had made securing a ceasefire in Lebanon a firm prerequisite for any potential talks, with Tehran’s parliament speaker stating that halting the fighting there was “just as important” as ending the war with the US.
However, Hezbollah is not a party to this agreement and has outright rejected the diplomatic process. Its lawmakers deemed negotiations with Israel “wrong” and accused the Lebanese government of making detrimental concessions.
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