The leaders of Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire after officials from the two countries met in Washington, President Donald Trump said Thursday.
The temporary truce will start at 5 p.m. ET, Trump said in a Truth Social post.
In a follow-up, Trump added that he will be inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon 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 developments add to growing hopes of a deal to end the Middle East war, which the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran on Feb. 28.
Israel’s heavy military strikes on Lebanon last week spurred accusations from Iran that its own fragile two-week ceasefire had already been violated. Despite U.S.-Iran peace negotiations ending without a deal over the weekend, Trump said this week that the war “very close to over,” while the White House projects optimism about “the prospects of a deal.”
Trump wrote in Thursday’s ceasefire post that he had just completed “excellent conversations” with Netanyahu and Aoun.
The two leaders struck the agreement “in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries,” Trump wrote.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine will “work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve a Lasting PEACE,” Trump added.
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