Summary of this article
US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, set to begin at 5 PM EST, following his discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Representatives from Israel and Lebanon held their first direct meeting in 34 years earlier this week in Washington, alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
There has been no immediate confirmation from Israel or Hezbollah, and the announcement comes after a major escalation in cross-border fighting that began on March 2.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, following what he described as “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the ceasefire would begin at 5 PM EST (3:30 AM IST), framing the pause in hostilities as a first step toward a broader peace process between the two neighboring countries.
“It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let’s, GET IT DONE!” Trump wrote.
According to the U.S. president, representatives from Israel and Lebanon met earlier this week in Washington — their first such direct meeting in 34 years. The talks were held alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump added that he has tasked Vice President JD Vance, Secretary Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine with working alongside both nations to secure a more lasting settlement.
However, there has been no immediate confirmation from Israel or Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group that has been directly involved in the recent cross-border fighting. The announcement suggests that backchannel diplomacy may have gained momentum, though the situation on the ground remains fluid.
The latest round of major hostilities erupted on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets, missiles, and drones toward a missile defense site near Haifa in northern Israel — the group’s first significant cross-border attack since a previous ceasefire in November 2024. Israel responded with strikes on Beirut suburbs and other targets, alongside evacuation orders for dozens of villages in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.
If implemented as announced, the 10-day ceasefire would mark a rare diplomatic breakthrough between two sides that have remained hostile for decades.
