Lebanon and Israel Agree to 10-Day Ceasefire Mediated by USA

Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire mediated by the United States.

US President Donald Trump announced this on Truth social.

The ceasefire is set to begin on April 16 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which corresponds to 12:00 a.m. on April 17 Kyiv time.

The day before, on April 15, representatives of both sides held a meeting in Washington for the first time in 34 years.

Earlier, on April 9, it was reported that Israel seeks to begin peace talks with Lebanon as soon as possible, which, in particular, involve the disarmament of the Hezbollah group.

In addition to the issue of disarmament, the negotiation process aims to gradually establish full-fledged peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.

Shortly before the Israeli leadership’s statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized that the only way out of the crisis is to reach a ceasefire followed by a transition to direct negotiations between the parties.

According to him, he is working on a diplomatic resolution to the situation, which is being viewed increasingly positively by international partners.

Israel launched a new offensive against Hezbollah after the Iran-backed group resumed shelling Israeli territory on March 2.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes have killed about 1,700 people, and more than a million people have been forced to flee their homes.

At the same time, the risk of escalation remains: according to available information, Iran is finalizing preparations for possible strikes on Israeli territory and is threatening to break the ceasefire.