In a dramatic tweet published this evening (Thursday), US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a formal ceasefire - which will begin tonight at midnight Israeli time.
Trump's announcement was made at the same time as the Israeli political-security cabinet convened, effectively preempting the ministers' formal approval. The prime minister informed the ministers that during the ceasefire, IDF forces would remain in the security zone, "where we are - that's where we'll stay.".
According to a report by Amit Segal, the ceasefire in Lebanon will be in the format of the one from November 2024, with authorization to act against an emerging threat on the other side.
Netanyahu told the ministers: "Trump asked, we have interests with the United States.".
According to Trump's statement, he had "excellent talks" with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The two leaders agreed that in order to achieve peace between the countries, they would formally begin a 10-day ceasefire.
President Trump later announced: "In addition to the statement just released, I will be inviting Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983, a very long time. Both sides want to see peace, and I believe it will happen, and soon!""
The announcement comes after a historic meeting held last Tuesday in Washington, where representatives of the two countries met for the first time in 43 years, under the auspices of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
President Trump made it clear that the goal is not just a temporary lull but "lasting peace." To that end, he directed Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan "Razin" Kaine to work closely with Israel and Lebanon to formulate final agreements during the days of the ceasefire.
""It was a great honor for me," Trump concluded his role in the mediation, once again positioning himself as someone capable of bringing about strategic change in the region.
Yisrael Beiteinu Party Chairman, MK Avigdor Lieberman, responded: "The ceasefire in Lebanon is a betrayal of the residents of the north. Once again, Hezbollah is being given time to recover and grow stronger. The war must not end without a clear decision and the elimination of Hezbollah.".
Moshe Davidovich, head of the Asher Regional Council and chairman of the Line of Conflict Forum, in response to Trump's announcement of a ceasefire with Lebanon: "Agreements are signed with a tie in Washington, but the price is paid in blood, in destroyed homes and dismantled communities here, in Asher Headquarters and on the Line of Conflict.".
An announcement of a 'ceasefire' that does not include lethal enforcement against Hezbollah for any violation and a security zone free of terror up to the Litani River is not a political achievement, it is a sentence of waiting for the next massacre. The residents of the north are not statistics in an international public relations show.
Until we see Hezbollah dismantled and our communities truly protected, any celebration of victory is nothing more than a scattering of sand in the eyes of the public. We will not return to being a 'human pawn' of fragile agreements. These painful words are written and cry out from the blood of those who have been harmed and will continue to be harmed.".
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the ceasefire announcement on the X network, saying it was a "central Lebanese demand" that had been a goal since the beginning of the war. He added that he congratulated the citizens of Lebanon and the international efforts, including the US, France and Arab countries, and expressed solidarity with the families of the dead and displaced.
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