Key Points
- Senior US officials, ambassadors attended Oval Office discussions.
- US pledges support to Lebanon against Hezbollah.
- Further high-level meetings may follow soon.
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire for an additional three weeks after diplomatic talks held at the White House.
Trump said the discussions took place in the Oval Office and involved Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon, alongside senior representatives from both countries.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the meeting as “very successful” and said the extension was agreed following what he termed productive engagement between the two sides.
He added that the United States would continue working with Lebanon to strengthen its capacity to counter Hezbollah.
Trump also indicated that further diplomatic steps could follow, including the possibility of hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in future talks.
The ceasefire extension comes amid ongoing efforts by Washington to prevent further escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border, where months of cross-border strikes and military activity have raised regional concerns.
Envoys praise Trump’s role
Speaking from the Oval Office, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said Israel and Lebanon were “closer than ever,” adding that the two sides “have never been next to each other more than today.”
He thanked US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling the developments a long-awaited step that “was decades in the making.”
“We are going to continue working for peace and hope it can be achieved as soon as possible,” he said.
Similarly, Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, said Beirut reiterated its position during the White House meeting with President Donald Trump and the Israeli envoy.
Speaking to Lebanon’s LBCI broadcaster after the talks, she said Lebanon called for an end to Israeli violations and the destruction in the south, adding that they assured Trump of their commitment to “make Lebanon great again.”
