Overview
- President Donald Trump said Thursday the leaders of Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day truce beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern and he invited Benjamin Netanyahu and Joseph Aoun to the White House for follow-up talks.
- Lebanon’s government publicly welcomed the pause as a core demand, but Hezbollah was not part of the negotiations and its adherence depends on Israel halting attacks, according to the group’s officials.
- Israeli officials signaled the military will hold positions in southern Lebanon during the pause, and Netanyahu called the halt temporary while reiterating that dismantling Hezbollah remains Israel’s key demand.
- Hostilities continued up to the announcement, with Lebanon reporting at least seven civilians killed in an Israeli strike on Ghazieh, and the wider campaign has left more than 2,000 dead and over a million displaced, according to Lebanese and UN figures.
- Iran’s state media said U.S.–Iran talks could restart once a Lebanon ceasefire is confirmed, highlighting how the pause could unlock broader diplomacy tied to the region’s war.