Trump announces 3-week extension of Israel-Lebanon ceasefire following talks

US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon shortly after presiding over the second round of ambassador-level talks between the two countries at the White House on Thursday, where Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter urged negotiators to focus on Hezbollah as the central obstacle to progress. The meeting brought together senior US, Israeli, and Lebanese officials as part of efforts to stabilize the northern front and explore a broader diplomatic framework.

In a Truth Social post published immediately after the meeting concluded, Trump said he also planned to host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House “in the near future.” He wrote, “The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” adding that the meeting went “very well.”

Following the post, Trump briefly addressed reporters in the Oval Office together with senior officials and participants in the talks. Speaking to the press after the meeting, he said, “They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks of ceasefire,” and described the discussions as “a very historic meeting.” Vice President JD Vance also called it “a major, historic moment,” adding that the extension “would have happened without the President’s direct engagement.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the talks alongside senior diplomats.

Opening the talks, Leiter said, “Israel sees Lebanon as a natural partner for good neighborly relations, coexistence, and peace. We have no disputes with the sovereign State of Lebanon, nor the Lebanese people, that cannot be reconciled. This can best be accomplished, we believe, in the spirit of the Abraham Accords and President Trump’s vision of peace.” He added that this vision “is held hostage today, as in the past, by Hezbollah,” accusing Iran and the group of repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflict with Israel.

Leiter stressed that the direction of the negotiations would be decisive. “To put the emphasis repeatedly in our talks on Israeli withdrawal is to fall into the trap once again of putting the emphasis in the wrong place. If we continue down that path, we are doomed to failure. And failure, friends, is not an option,” he said. He continued, “If, on the other hand, we put the focus on the root problem, Hezbollah, and its murderous intentions with regard to Israel, I have no doubt that we will succeed in eliminating the Hezbollah menace and achieving peace between our two countries.”

He also warned against leniency toward Iranian involvement, stating, “If Hezbollah and IRGC operatives continue to be treated with kid gloves, a real process of achieving our mutual goal will remain unachievable.” Leiter framed Hezbollah’s presence and activity as the key barrier to any sustainable agreement.

Addressing the situation on the ground, Leiter said, “Currently, the IDF is deployed at its forward defensive position in order to defend the Israeli population of northern Israel from Hezbollah. Our forward position prevents the firing of missiles into northern Israel and the attempted infiltration of civilian communities, as Hamas did on October 7th on the Gaza border.” He added, “As long as the threat to Israeli citizens persists, our forward positions must remain.”

He reiterated Israel’s position on the ceasefire framework, stating, “While Israel is willing to extend the ceasefire, in order for it to work, I reiterate, as stated in the announcement of the 10-day cessation of hostilities that was published a week ago: ‘Israel shall preserve its right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks. This shall not be impeded by the cessation of hostilities.’”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said, “The people of Lebanon and the people of Israel are neighbors, and they want to get along — and they can get along. The problem is not Lebanon; the problem is not Israel. The problem is Hezbollah.” US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa called the meeting “really a historical day,” while Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad thanked the United States “for all your effort to help and to support Lebanon.”

Leiter concluded by pointing to past normalization efforts, saying, “Peace between our two countries may seem like a pipe dream, but it is not anything of the kind. Before the Abraham Accords were signed, many people also thought it was impossible, but today it is a reality. President Trump’s vision became a reality, and now, in the case of Lebanon and Israel, it can become a reality once again.”