U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, set to begin at 11 p.m. Local time in Italy, or 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
The agreement, revealed in a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform, follows direct talks between the U.S. President and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said he had spoken with both leaders and credited the diplomatic effort as his tenth success in resolving global conflicts.
“It has been an honor for me to resolve nine wars around the world, and this will be the tenth, so let’s get to work,” Trump wrote in the post, adding that he plans to invite both Aoun and Netanyahu to the White House for “meaningful talks” aimed at achieving lasting peace between the two nations.
Netanyahu later confirmed his acceptance of the ceasefire, reiterating that Israel’s core condition remains the dismantling of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group active in southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials have indicated that any lasting arrangement would require an end to Israeli military operations in the region, which have resulted in casualties on both sides in recent days.
The announcement marks the first time in 34 years that Israeli and Lebanese officials have met directly in Washington, D.C., a fact highlighted by Trump, who noted the meeting occurred earlier in the week with Secretary of State Marco Rubio present. He said he has tasked Vice President JD Vance, Rubio, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine with working alongside both governments to turn the temporary truce into a durable agreement.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the development, calling it “excellent news” and congratulating the governments of Lebanon and Israel for reaching the outcome through U.S. Mediation.
While the ceasefire offers a short-term pause in hostilities, the absence of any mention of Hezbollah in Trump’s announcement has drawn attention, particularly given the group’s central role in the ongoing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
