The leaders of Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire after officials from the two countries met in Washington, the president said. Donald Trump said Thursday.
The temporary truce will begin at 5 p.m. ET, Trump said in a statement. Truth on social media.
In a follow upTrump added that he would invite the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House “for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983, a long time ago.”
“Both sides want PEACE, and I believe it will happen quickly!” Trump wrote.
These developments add to growing hopes for a deal ending the Middle East war, which the United States and Israel launched against Iran on February 28.
Heavy Israeli military strikes on Lebanon last week sparked accusations from Iran that its fragile two-week ceasefire had already been violated. Although peace negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without a deal over the weekend, Trump said this week that the war was “very close to the end,” while the White House expressed optimism about the “prospects of a deal.”
Trump wrote in his ceasefire message Thursday that he had just finished “great conversations” with Netanyahu and Aoun.
The two leaders reached the agreement “in order to achieve PEACE between their countries,” Trump wrote.
vice-president J.D. VanceSecretary of State Marco Rubio and co-president of the chiefs Dan Caine “He will work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve lasting PEACE,” Trump added.
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