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Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, Trump announces 10-day truce taking effect at midnight

U.S. president says agreement follows talks with Netanyahu and Aoun, with White House meetings planned

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, set to take effect at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which corresponds to midnight between Thursday and Friday in Israel.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement followed discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I just had very good conversations with the highly respected President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel,” he wrote.

Trump said both leaders agreed to formally begin a 10-day ceasefire “in order to achieve PEACE between their countries.” He added that U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine had been tasked with coordinating implementation efforts with both sides.

The announcement came shortly after Trump had said he expected a direct phone call between Israeli and Lebanese leaders. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, however, had reportedly pushed back on the idea, insisting that a ceasefire would need to precede any direct engagement.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an urgent security cabinet call shortly after the announcement. According to Israeli media reports, ministers were given only minutes’ notice before the meeting and expressed frustration at learning of the ceasefire through media reports rather than through an official vote.

Shortly after announcing the truce, Trump said he would invite Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.

The reference relates to post-1982 Lebanon War negotiations that ultimately did not produce a final agreement. More recent diplomatic contacts between Israeli and Lebanese officials have taken place in Washington this week, while the last direct high-level meeting is generally traced to the 1993 Madrid Peace Conference.

Trump also referred to that earlier period as occurring “34 years ago,” a timeline that does not align precisely with the historical record cited.
A potential White House meeting would mark Netanyahu’s seventh visit to the United States, more than any other foreign leader.

(Source: Times of Israel)

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