U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire following weeks of cross-border fighting.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the temporary truce was reached after discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“These two leaders have agreed that in order to achieve peace between their countries, they will formally begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 p.m. EST,” Trump wrote.
Fighting spread during regional conflict
The clashes between Israel and Lebanon intensified after hostilities expanded beyond the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran. The confrontation spilled into Lebanon on March 2 when the Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel.
Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes since then have killed more than 2,100 people and displaced around 1.2 million residents. Israeli officials say Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians in Israel, while 13 Israeli soldiers have died during operations in Lebanon.
Talks in Washington
Trump said officials from Israel and Lebanon recently met in Washington, D.C. for discussions mediated by U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He added that Vice President JD Vance, Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan ‘Razin’ Caine had been tasked with working alongside both sides to pursue a longer-term peace agreement.
In a separate message, Trump said he intended to invite Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful negotiations between the two countries in decades.
Lebanon calls for broader ceasefire
Before Trump’s announcement, Aoun had urged the United States to help secure a ceasefire during a phone call with the U.S. president — the first conversation between the two leaders.
Lebanon has maintained that any negotiations with Israel should begin only after a ceasefire is implemented and Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Aoun said a ceasefire would serve as the “natural entry point” for direct talks between the two countries.
Fighting continues on the ground
Despite the diplomatic efforts, Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon, including in the border town of Bint Jbeil, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
A Lebanese security source said an Israeli strike also destroyed the final bridge over the Litani River leading into the south, effectively cutting off parts of the region from the rest of the country after other crossings had been destroyed earlier in the conflict.
Officials in Lebanon believe Israel is seeking to secure control over key areas before diplomatic progress can be achieved.