U.S. President Donald Trump has announced an extension of the three-week ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Following discussions held at the White House on Thursday, Trump agreed to extend the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and the terrorist group Hezbollah by three weeks. Trump stated that the meeting held in the U.S. between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors—the second such meeting in the past week—was “very good.” Speaking in the Oval Office, he also acknowledged that “he has to look out for Hezbollah as well.”
Multiple Violations Reported Since Ceasefire Began
The initial ceasefire between the two sides went into effect last Friday, and since then, multiple violations have been reported from both sides. This ceasefire has now been extended for a period of three weeks. Trump noted that this marked the first direct diplomatic dialogue between Israel and Lebanon in decades. The two neighboring nations have formally remained in a state of war since the establishment of Israel in 1948. The initial 10-day ceasefire was scheduled to expire on Monday. In a social media post, Trump stated, “The United States will work with Lebanon to enable it to defend itself against Hezbollah.”
Trump Says He Will Meet with Netanyahu and the Lebanese President
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump expressed his hope to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington within the coming two weeks. Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter remarked, “We hope that, under your leadership, we will very soon be able to formally establish a lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon.” Thanking Trump, Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Mouawad said, “Thank you for all your efforts and for your support of Lebanon.” Referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, he said, “I believe that with your help and support, we can make Lebanon great again.”