US President Donald Trump has announced that a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been agreed upon following talks in Washington.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump stated the truce would begin at 5 PM EST (22:00 GMT), following what he described as “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The talks, held in Washington DC, were the first direct meeting between the two nations “in 34 years” and involved US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said, adding that he had directed US officials to work with both sides toward a “lasting peace.” Trump also claimed that the deal would be his “10th” such achievement.
Trump did not mention Israel’s ongoing war with Hezbollah after its invasion of southern Lebanon in early March, or its attempt to effectively annex some 15% of the country. Last week, the IDF carried out its largest wave of strikes across Lebanon since the conflict began, pounding central Beirut just hours after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Israel has killed over 2,000 people and wounded thousands more since March 2, including hundreds of women and children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Around 1.2 million people have been displaced.
In a follow-up post, Trump invited Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House, describing it as the “first meaningful talks” between the two countries since 1983.
Israeli officials reportedly expressed “outrage” after Trump announced the ceasefire ahead of the planned Israeli security cabinet call to discuss a truce. Netanyahu told the ministers that the deal would begin “at the request of Trump,” according to Ynet, adding that Israeli forces would remain in their positions in southern Lebanon.
Trump’s announcement comes amid deadly ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese civilians. On Wednesday, Netanyahu said he had ordered an expansion of military operations. Multiple strikes on the village of Mayfadoun the same day reportedly left four paramedics dead and six others wounded. Strikes were also reported near one of the last functioning hospitals in southern Lebanon, in the town of Tebnine.