Donald Trump is boasting that he’s near ending his tenth war after Israel and Lebanon agreed on a 10-day ceasefire.
The move is a primary step towards a peace deal for Trump’s war in Iran and comes into effect at 5pm EST (10pm GMT).
The war has jolted markets and rattled the worldwide economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have pounded military and civilian infrastructure.
However the US President announced on Truth Social: ‘I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel.
‘These two Leaders have agreed that so as to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they’ll formally begin a ten Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST. On Tuesday, the 2 Countries met for the primary time in 34 years here in Washington, D.C., with our Great Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
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He said he wanted a ‘lasting peace’ between the nations, adding: ‘It has been my Honor to unravel 9 Wars across the World, and this might be my tenth, so let’s, GET IT DONE! President DONALD J. TRUMP’.
Talking to reporters on the White House lawn, he said Hezbollah can be included within the ceasefire agreement.
Trump expected Aoun and Netanyahu to satisfy in the following week or two, before saying the White House meeting between the Mideast leaders could occur in the following 4 or five days.
He also took the time to accuse Pope Leo of wanting Iran to have nuclear weapons of their confrontation – the Pope has never said that and has demanded peace in Middle East.
There’s anger and embarrassment in Israel as Trump unexpectedly announced the ceasefire in Lebanon before the cupboard got to vote, in keeping with Channel 12.
Israeli forces are still on the bottom in Lebanon, and even after Trump’s announcement, carried out a deadly strike in town of Ghaziyeh killing no less than eight civilians with more missing under the rubble.
Israel and Lebanon
Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Lebanon stays deeply divided over diplomatic engagement with Israel.
Lebanon and Israel signed an agreement in 1983 saying Lebanon would formally recognise Israel, and Israel would withdraw from Lebanon. The deal fell apart during Lebanon’s civil war and was formally rescinded a yr later.
However the deaths have multiplied after skirmishes mainly between Hezbollah and Israel, sparked by the October 7 attacks.
Israeli troops pushed deeper into southern Lebanon to create what officials have called a ‘security zone,’ which Netanyahu has said will extend no less than 6 miles into Lebanon.
Since October 7, Israeli strikes have killed no less than 2,196 people in Lebanon amongst them 252 women, 166 children and 88 medical employees.
Multiple million people have been displaced.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, weakened after its last war with Israel that resulted in November 2024, had been firing drones, rockets and artillery each day into northern Israel and on ground troops inside Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the ceasefire was his country’s first goal in landmark talks that took place with Israel in Washington on Tuesday between the country’s ambassadors to the U.S.
‘While I congratulate all Lebanese on this achievement, I offer my condolences to the families of the martyrs who fell, and I affirm my solidarity with their families, with the wounded, and with the residents forced to flee their cities and villages,’ Salam said.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi said that the Lebanese militants will respect a ceasefire if Israeli attacks stop.
‘We in Hezbollah will cautiously adhere to the ceasefire on the condition that it’s a comprehensive halt to hostilities against us and that Israel not use it to perform any assassinations,’ he says.
‘We express due to Iran for having applied pressure in Lebanon’s favour,’ he says, adding that ‘the ceasefire wouldn’t have happened without Iran considering the ceasefire as equal to closing the Strait of Hormuz.’
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