President Donald Trump announced Thursday that a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel will continue for three more weeks.
“The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah. The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS,” Trump wrote in a TruthSocial post.
“I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun,” he added.
Trump said the ceasefire extension came after a meeting where he, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa met with high-ranking representatives of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office.
Trending
While at the White House, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, told Trump: “We hope that together, under your leadership, we can formalize peace between Israel and Lebanon in the very near future.”
Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad shared the sentiment.
“I want to really say thank you to the United States, under your leadership, for all your effort to help and to support Lebanon,” Hamadeh told Trump. “I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great.”
The administration’s goal is for more extensive negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to take place in Washington. Aoun has said negotiation points include the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, a full stop to Israeli attacks, the release of Lebanese prisoners being held in Israel, the establishment of Lebanese troops along the country’s border and a start to the reconstruction process.
On the other side, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said they want Lebanon to work with Israel to dismantle Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group.
“We don’t have any serious disagreements with Lebanon. There are a few minor border disputes that can be solved,” Saar said during an Independence Day speech in Israel. “The obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is one: Hezbollah.”
The ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel comes after Trump also extended the US ceasefire with Iran indefinitely.
Author
