Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended for Three Weeks Amid U.S. Mediation Efforts

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by an additional three weeks. The announcement followed a meeting in the Oval Office with the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors.

The U.S. has been pushing for an extended ceasefire for two primary reasons: to facilitate direct peace talks between Israel and Lebanon and to prevent renewed hostilities that could undermine ongoing negotiations with Iran.

Key developments:

• Trump revealed the initial 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon last week.
• The U.S. is simultaneously working on a potential peace deal with Iran.
• While the two diplomatic tracks are officially separate, Iran has accused Israel of violating the U.S.-Iran ceasefire through ongoing attacks in Lebanon.
• The U.S. and Israel counter that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire does not apply to Israel’s operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah, which they argue are part of separate negotiations with Lebanon.

Behind the scenes: The second round of talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials was originally scheduled to take place at the State Department with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, three hours before the meeting, it was relocated to the White House, where Trump joined the discussions. Attendees included Vice President Vance, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa.

"The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah. The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS," Trump wrote on Truth Social following the meeting.

Trump also expressed his intention to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House "in the near future."

Challenges remain: Lebanese officials have indicated that a trilateral meeting is unlikely as long as Israel continues to occupy 6% of Lebanon’s territory and conducts strikes despite the ceasefire.