Lebanon and Israel have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks following talks at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (23 April).
The meeting in the Oval Office brought together Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador, Nada Moawad. It followed a day of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon that killed at least five people, including a journalist.
Trump said the talks went well and that the United States would work with Lebanon to help it defend itself against Hezbollah which is backed by Iran. However Hezbollah was not part of the discussions.
He added that he hoped to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in future talks.
Senior U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also attended the meeting.
The ceasefire had been due to expire on Sunday (17 April). It followed earlier talks between the two countries’ ambassadors in Washington and has led to a reduction in violence, though clashes have continued in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces remain in a self-declared buffer zone inside Lebanese territory. Lebanon has said it will seek a full Israeli withdrawal, the return of detainees and a clear land border in future negotiations.
During the meeting, ambassador Moawad thanked the United States for its role in the talks and expressed hope for continued support.
"I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again," she said.
Leiter said discussions should focus on addressing Hezbollah’s presence rather than on Israeli troop withdrawal. Israel has accused the group of continuing to pose a threat along its northern border.
"If Hezbollah and IRGC operatives continue to be treated with kid gloves, a real process of achieving our mutual goal will remain unachievable," Leiter said, according to remarks shared by the Israeli embassy in Washington.
Despite the ceasefire, violence has not stopped. Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes and shelling on Wednesday and Thursday killed several people and wounded others, including a child.
Among those killed was journalist Amal Khalil, according to Lebanese officials. The Israeli military said it was reviewing reports that journalists had been hit, adding that its strikes were aimed at what it described as Hezbollah-linked targets.
The Israeli army also said it shot dead two people it identified as an immediate threat near its forces in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah said it carried out several operations in response to Israeli strikes. A senior member of the group, Hassan Fadlallah, said it supported extending the ceasefire but called for full Israeli compliance.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resumed in March, when the group launched attacks in support of Iran following the U.S.-Israeli strikes. Since then, nearly 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to local authorities.
Israel says its military presence in southern Lebanon is aimed at protecting its northern communities after repeated rocket fire from Hezbollah.
The Israeli military has warned residents in southern Lebanon not to enter areas under its control.
The latest extension of the ceasefire provides a short window for further talks, as diplomatic efforts continue alongside ongoing tensions on the ground.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they l...
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parl...
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels operating in Ukrainian waters on Sa...
In a workshop surrounded by the wreckage of war, workers in Gaza are giving a second life to small leisure boats once used for family outings and swim...
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed, and three others were injured after two cargo vessels were hit in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, Azerba...
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
For decades, the factory taught the battlefield. Ukraine is now reversing the lesson.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels operating in Ukrainian waters on Saturday, leaving several people injured.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed, and three others were injured after two cargo vessels were hit in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, as Russia blamed Ukraine for the strike.
The new AnewZ documentary, TARGET: Yerevan, builds its explosive case on exclusive, secret recordings originally published by Minval Politika.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” during a phone exchange over fighting in Lebanon. The call came as the U.S. was attempting to broker an end to hostilities involving Iran.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Monday they targeted the source of an attack on a telecom facility on Sirik Island near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Tasnim News Agency reported.
Iran really wanted to make a deal with the U.S. and that it would be a good one for Washington and its allies, President Donald Trump said on Monday.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. threats to impose sanctions on and bomb Oman following reported talks between Muscat and Tehran on jointly overseeing the Strait of Hormuz, reiterating that the Islamic Republic’s actions in the strategic waterway are “lawful”.
The United States has warned Oman against supporting any effort to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington would penalise any parties involved in facilitating such a system.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment