Trump Says Lebanon And Israel Agree To Extend Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire By 3 Weeks

Washington (AP) — President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group for up to three weeks following talks at the White House on Thursday.

Trump said the second meeting between Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors to the United States last week went “very well,” but acknowledged in the Oval Office meeting that “they have Hezbollah to think about.” The Iran-backed group has opposed the talks and both sides have committed numerous violations since the initial ceasefire took effect last Friday.

Even so, these were the first direct diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades and represented a major step for the neighboring countries, which have been officially at war since Israel’s founding in 1948. The first 10-day ceasefire was to end on Monday.

“The United States will work with Lebanon to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump said in his social media post. He added later in the Oval Office that he expects to meet in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the next couple of weeks.

Surrounded by ambassadors as well as Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump told reporters that Israel had the right to defend itself “if they get shot at and they will.”

“We hope that together under your leadership we will be able to formalize peace between Israel and Lebanon in the very near future,” said Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter. he said.

Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad thanked Trump “for all your efforts to help and support Lebanon.” “And I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again,” he said, referring to the slogan “Make America Great Again.”

Lebanese President Aoun had said in a statement the day before that Hamadeh would ask for an end to Israel during the talks. house demolitions inside occupied villages and towns By Israel after the last war broke out on March 2.

Preparations were being made for more comprehensive negotiations. Aoun said in a statement from his office that the aim of future talks is to “completely” stop Israeli attacks, withdraw Israeli troops from Lebanon, release Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, deploy Lebanese troops along the border and start the reconstruction process.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called on Lebanon to work with Israel to disarm Hezbollah.

“We do not have any serious disputes with Lebanon. There are a few minor border disputes that can be resolved,” Saar told Israel’s ambassadors and diplomatic corps on Independence Day. He described the neighboring country as a “failed state”.

“The obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is one: Hezbollah,” he said, adding that Lebanon could have “a future of sovereignty, independence and freedom from the Iranian occupation.”

The latest war started when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after Israel and the United States attacked Iran. Israel responded with widespread bombardment and ground assault on Lebanon, capturing dozens of towns and villages along the border.

The Israeli army occupies a buffer zone extending 6 miles (10 kilometers) into southern Lebanon. Israel says it aims to eliminate the threat of short-range rockets and anti-tank missiles being fired into northern Israel.

Hezbollah was not a participant in diplomacy. Vefik SafaA senior member of the militant group’s political council told The Associated Press that it would not abide by any agreements made during direct talks.

The Lebanese government hopes the talks will pave the way for a permanent end to the war. While Iran requires an end to the wars in Lebanon and the region as a condition for negotiations with the United States, Lebanon insists on representing itself.

The talks last week were the first between Israel and Lebanon since 1993. Both countries rely mostly on indirect communications mediated by the United States or UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s top political authorities, who criticized Hezbollah’s decision to fire rockets at Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran, immediately offered direct talks to stop the tension, hoping that Israel would not launch a land invasion.

Despite the ceasefire that was later reached, well-known Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, who was covering Southern Lebanon, was killed in Israel’s attack on Wednesday. Lebanese health officials said the Israeli army opened fire on the responding ambulance and prevented rescuers from reaching it. His body was recovered from the rubble of a collapsed building a few hours later.

The Israeli military has denied deliberately targeting journalists or opening fire on rescuers, but the case sparked widespread outrage in Lebanon ahead of Washington talks.

Following a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said the government was working on a report documenting Israel’s alleged war crimes and ministers were discussing joining the International Criminal Court.

The last Israel-Hezbollah war killed nearly 2,300 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of women. kidsand displaced 1 million people.

Mroue reported from Beirut. AP writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Aamer Madhani and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed.