President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon following his direct participation in historic White House peace talks, voicing optimism the diplomatic push could lead to a lasting agreement as he looks to host both nations’ leaders in Washington in the coming weeks.
Trump confirmed the extension after hosting senior Israeli and Lebanese representatives in the Oval Office, saying the United States will work with Lebanon “to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” the Iranian-backed terrorist group at the center of the conflict, while formalizing an additional three weeks of ceasefire.
He characterized the talks as “a great meeting” with high-level officials from both sides and said the extension marks “the beginning of something very important” — pointing to what he suggested could develop into broader regional progress alongside ongoing diplomacy.
The session marked the second round of U.S.-brokered talks, following an initial meeting on April 14 — the first direct engagement between the sides in decades — which led to a ten-day ceasefire agreement two days later.
After the meeting, senior U.S. officials and the Israeli and Lebanese envoys who participated in the talks joined Trump in the Oval Office, where they outlined the next phase of the diplomatic effort.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump’s direct involvement “made it possible” to extend the ceasefire, describing the move as creating space to advance negotiations toward a broader agreement. The extension, he said, “gives everybody time to continue to work on what’s going to be permanent peace between two countries that want to be in peace,” adding he expects the sides to be “even closer” to that goal in the coming weeks.
Vice President JD Vance called the development “a major, historic moment,” crediting Trump’s direct engagement with bringing the parties together for high-level talks at the White House.
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter struck a forward-looking tone, emphasizing that “Israel wants peace with Lebanon, and Israel wants security for its citizens,” while stressing that both sides share a common objective in confronting Hezbollah’s malign influence.
Leiter added that with Iran’s regional posture weakened, “the possibility of degrading Hezbollah … is real,” expressing hope the current diplomatic track could lead to a formal peace agreement “in the very near future.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee framed the issue directly, stating, “The problem is not Lebanon; the problem is not Israel. The problem is Hezbollah.”
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa underscored the broader significance of the moment, calling the talks “60, 70 years in the making” and describing the meeting as a potential turning point in efforts to shift the trajectory of the long-running conflict.
Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad thanked the United States for facilitating the talks, describing the meeting as a “historic moment” and expressing appreciation for Washington’s continued support.
Despite the diplomatic progress, tensions on the ground remained evident, with rockets launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel as the talks were underway, though they were intercepted without reported casualties.
Trump emphasized that Israel retains the right to defend itself, stating that any response would be carried out “carefully” and in a “surgical” manner.
He also made clear that broader regional stability would require Iran to end its support for Hezbollah, responding “that is a must” when asked whether Tehran must halt its financing of the group as part of any agreement.
Looking ahead, Trump said he expects Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to visit Washington “over the next couple of weeks,” potentially within the ceasefire window, as negotiations continue.
“I think there’s a very good chance of having peace,” Trump said, pointing to Hezbollah as the shared adversary driving a rare alignment between the two sides.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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