US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon following fresh negotiations between envoys of both countries in Washington.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the talks “went very well,” adding that the United States would work with Lebanon to strengthen its defenses against Hezbollah.
The truce, initially reached last week and set to expire Sunday, aims to halt more than seven weeks of hostilities between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed group.
Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump said Joseph Aoun and Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to visit the White House in the coming weeks to further discussions.
“We are going to be working with Lebanon to get things straightened out in that country,” Trump said, noting concerns over Hezbollah’s presence.
Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter both commended Trump’s role in facilitating dialogue. Leiter said both nations share the goal of eliminating Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.
Despite the ceasefire, tensions persist on the ground. Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violations, with intermittent strikes continuing.
On Thursday, Hezbollah said it launched rockets into northern Israel in response to alleged Israeli breaches. The Israel Defense Forces said it intercepted the projectiles.
A day earlier, Lebanon accused Israel of committing war crimes after an airstrike in southern Lebanon killed one journalist and injured another. The Israeli military denied targeting members of the press.
The latest round of talks marks the first direct high-level contact between Israel and Lebanon in three decades.
The conflict escalated following a ceasefire in November 2024, which was repeatedly strained by near-daily Israeli strikes on suspected Hezbollah targets. Tensions surged further after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, prompting retaliatory attacks from Hezbollah.
Since the renewed fighting began, Lebanon’s health ministry reports at least 2,294 deaths from Israeli attacks, including women and children, though figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
On the Israeli side, authorities say two civilians and 15 soldiers have been killed in the conflict.
According to the United Nations, more than one million people in Lebanon, roughly 20% of the population have been displaced, mostly from the south where extensive damage to homes and villages has been reported.
Calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament continue from the U.S., Israel, and some Lebanese leaders. However, President Aoun has warned that such a move cannot be enforced militarily and must instead be resolved through negotiations to avoid further violence.
