U.S. President Donald Trump speaks within the Oval Office, with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing behind him, on the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 23, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
KYLIE COOPER
President Donald Trump mentioned Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group by three weeks after talks on the White House on Thursday.
Trump mentioned the assembly between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, the second up to now week, went “very well,” however throughout an Oval Office gathering he acknowledged that “they do have Hezbollah to think about.” The Iranian-backed group has opposed the talks, and for the reason that preliminary ceasefire went into impact final Friday, there have been a number of violations by either side.
Despite that, these have been the primary direct diplomatic talks in many years between Israel and Lebanon and represented a serious step for neighboring nations that formally have been at battle since Israel’s inception in 1948. The preliminary 10-day ceasefire had been as a result of expire Monday.
US pushes for broader diplomatic breakthrough
“The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump mentioned in a social media submit. He added later within the Oval Office that he expects to satisfy in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun within the subsequent couple of weeks.
Trump instructed reporters, whereas surrounded by the ambassadors as effectively as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that Israel has a proper to defend itself “if they’re shot at, and they will.” “We hope that together, under your leadership, we can formalize peace between Israel and Lebanon in the very near future,” Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter mentioned.
Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad thanked Trump “for all your effort to help and to support Lebanon.” She referenced his “Make America Great Again” slogan when she mentioned, “And I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again.”
Lebanon presses wider-reaching negotiations
Lebanon presses wider-reaching negotiations Aoun, the Lebanese president, mentioned a day earlier that throughout the talks Hamadeh would ask for an finish to Israeli dwelling demolitions in villages and cities occupied by Israel after the most recent battle broke out on March 2.
Preparations have been being made for wider-reaching negotiations. The goal of the longer term talks is to “fully” cease Israeli assaults, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, launch of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, deployment of Lebanese troops alongside the border and starting the reconstruction course of, Aoun mentioned in feedback launched by his workplace.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has known as on Lebanon to work with Israel to disarm Hezbollah.
“We don’t have any serious disagreements with Lebanon. There are a few minor border disputes that can be solved,” Saar mentioned throughout Independence Day remarks to Israel’s ambassadors and diplomatic corps. He described the neighboring nation as a “failed state.” “The obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is one: Hezbollah,” he mentioned, including that Lebanon may have “a future of sovereignty, independence and freedom from the Iranian occupation.”
Renewed preventing in Lebanon tied to Iran battle
Renewed preventing in Lebanon was tied to Iran battle The newest battle began when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, two days after Israel and the U.S. launched assaults on Iran. Israel responded with widespread bombardment of Lebanon and a floor invasion, capturing dozens of cities and villages alongside the border.
Israel’s army occupies a buffer zone stretching as far as 6 miles (10 kilometers) into southern Lebanon. Israel says it goals to take away the specter of short-range rockets and anti-tank missiles being fired towards northern Israel.
Hezbollah has not been a participant within the diplomacy. Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of the militant group’s political council, has instructed The Associated Press that it’s going to not abide by any agreements made throughout the direct talks.
The Lebanese authorities hopes the talks will pave the way in which to a everlasting finish to the battle. While Iran has set ending the wars in Lebanon and the area as a situation for negotiations with the U.S., Lebanon insists on representing itself.
The talks final week have been the primary between Israel and Lebanon since 1993. Both nations have relied on oblique communication, usually brokered by the U.S. or UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s high political authorities, important of Hezbollah’s choice to fireside rockets towards Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran, shortly proposed direct talks in a bid to cease the escalation, hoping Israel wouldn’t launch its floor invasion.
Despite the ceasefire that was later reached, an Israeli strike Wednesday killed Amal Khalil, a well known Lebanese journalist overlaying southern Lebanon. Lebanese well being officers mentioned the Israeli army opened hearth on an ambulance that responded, stopping rescuers from reaching her. Her physique was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed constructing a number of hours later.
The Israeli army denied that it had intentionally focused journalists or fired on rescuers, however the case sparked widespread anger in Lebanon forward of the Washington talks.
After a Cabinet assembly Thursday, Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri mentioned the federal government is engaged on a report documenting alleged battle crimes by Israel and that ministers had mentioned becoming a member of the International Criminal Court.
The newest Israel-Hezbollah battle has killed round 2,300 folks in Lebanon, together with a whole lot of girls and youngsters, and displaced over 1 million folks.
Published on April 24, 2026