By Joke Kujenya
ISRAEL AND Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, Unted States (U.S.) President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, following diplomatic discussions involving the two countries in Washington.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that President Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, stating that both leaders agreed to begin a formal 10-day ceasefire at 5.00pm Eastern as part of efforts to move towards peace.
He made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social.
Trump said he held what he described as excellent conversations with both leaders and said they had agreed on the ceasefire arrangement.
He added that Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Razin Caine had been directed to work with Israel and Lebanon to pursue lasting peace.
The president said the development followed talks in Washington involving Israeli and Lebanese officials, the first such engagement in 34 years, which took place alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He also said both leaders would be invited to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between the countries since 1983.
The ceasefire comes after more than a month of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran backed militant group based in Lebanon.
Lebanon has insisted that a ceasefire must be in place before further negotiations and has maintained that it intends to commit to disarming Hezbollah.
A Lebanese official told Fox News that President Joseph Aoun would not speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until a ceasefire was established, a position later referenced in the context of ongoing diplomatic exchanges involving United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A government official said Washington understood Lebanon’s position.
Fragile Peace Deals
Israel and Lebanon have remained technically at war since 1948.
A previous agreement signed in 1983, which included recognition and withdrawal commitments, collapsed during Lebanon’s civil war and was later rescinded.
Fighting has continued across the Israel Lebanon border during the broader regional tensions involving Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has carried out rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel while Israeli forces have intensified strikes in southern Lebanon, including areas around Tyre, Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil.
Israeli troops have also advanced further into southern Lebanon, with officials describing the creation of a security zone extending 8 to 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory.
Trump said both sides had expressed willingness to pursue peace and said he had arranged engagement between the leaders as part of efforts to reduce hostilities.
He also said the ceasefire would be the first step towards broader discussions involving both countries.
In parallel diplomatic activity, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir met Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf as part of wider efforts linked to extending a ceasefire that has paused nearly seven weeks of conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran. Iranian state media did not provide details of the meeting.
Pakistan has played a mediating role after hosting talks between United States and Iranian officials.
The White House said further discussions on Iran were likely to take place in Islamabad, although no final decision had been made on resuming negotiations.
The ceasefire involving Iran has remained fragile amid tensions over a United States naval blockade of Iranian ports and Iranian counter threats affecting regional shipping routes.
Also, United States Central Command (USCC) said no vessels had passed through the restricted route following the blockade, while multiple merchant ships were turned back under instructions from United States forces.
The conflict has disrupted global trade flows and energy markets, with oil prices falling on expectations of de-escalation and United States stock markets reaching record levels.
Lebanon President Refuses Israel PM Call
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun reportedly refused to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call involving United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with a government official stating that Washington understood Lebanon’s position on the matter.
Elsewhere in the region, negotiations have continued on key issues including Iran’s nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damage.
Iranian officials said they were open to discussing the type and level of uranium enrichment but insisted enrichment must continue based on national needs.
United States Defence Secretary (USDS) Pete Hegseth said Iran must come to the negotiating table and reiterated that Washington would ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
He said the preference was for a negotiated agreement but warned that other options remained available. Iran has consistently stated that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
Also, United States Treasury Secretary (USTS) Scott Bessent said new sanctions would target countries doing business with Iran, describing the measures as the financial equivalent of a bombing campaign.
However, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz during discussions with Iranian officials, stressing the importance of respecting sovereignty and ensuring freedom of navigation.
The strait remains a critical route for global oil shipments and has been affected by the wider conflict.
Reports from United States Central Command indicated that shipping through the affected waters had been halted under the blockade, with commercial vessels diverted back towards Iranian waters.
This has made the wider conflict to have resulted in significant casualties across the region, with at least 3,000 deaths reported in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states.
Also, thirteen United States service members have also been killed so far, reports noted.
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