United States President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10 day ceasefire set to begin on Thursday, raising cautious hopes for a pause in the ongoing conflict.
According to Trump, the agreement followed discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The ceasefire is scheduled to take effect at 5 PM Eastern Standard Time as both countries attempt to ease escalating tensions.
However, uncertainty remains over whether Hezbollah, the Iran backed group heavily involved in the conflict, has agreed to the truce. Hezbollah’s participation is seen as critical to the success of any ceasefire, given its active role in cross border hostilities.
Trump stated that he has tasked Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top military official Dan Caine with working alongside both nations to achieve a more lasting peace agreement.
The announcement comes just days after Israel and Lebanon reportedly held peace talks in Washington, as diplomatic efforts intensify to halt the violence. The conflict escalated after Hezbollah launched rocket s into Israel in support of Iran, prompting sustained Israeli airstrikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.
Since the escalation, more than 2,000 people have reportedly been ed in Lebanon, with over one million displaced, highlighting the severe humanitarian toll of the crisis.
While Trump expressed optimism, describing the development as part of his broader peace efforts, there has been no independent confirmation yet of direct communication between Netanyahu and Aoun or of Hezbollah’s acceptance of the ceasefire terms.
The coming days are expected to test the durability of the truce and whether it can pave the way for a longer term resolution to the conflict.
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