Donald Trump has spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they agreed to a ceasefire "to achieve peace between their countries".
Trump wrote this on his Truth Social platform and said that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the American side in working to create a lasting peace.
Lebanon's crippled government is not directly involved in the war. Israel is fighting the armed and influential Shia movement Hezbollah, which is not at the table. Trump does not mention Hezbollah in his post but told reporters outside the White House that the ceasefire also includes the Shia militia.
Massive bombings
But the question is whether the parties can refrain from renewed fighting.
Hezbollah said in a statement that a ceasefire must also bar the Israeli military from moving within Lebanon's borders. Otherwise, "Lebanon and its people have the right to resist," it said.
Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, said Israel reserves the right to maintain a ten-kilometre-wide security zone in Lebanon.
"We have an opportunity to reach a historic agreement with Lebanon," Netanyahu said.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire, Israel launched "massive bombardments" across parts of southern Lebanon, the Lebanese newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour reports. At least seven people were killed and 33 injured in an Israeli attack on Ghazieh in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, according to AFP.
Hezbollah also carried out attacks during the evening, with no reported deaths so far.
Inviting the leaders
Trump later said in a post that he would invite Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House. "Both sides want to see peace and I believe it will happen quickly," he wrote.
The announcement of a ceasefire comes after a day of statements and counter-statements about talks between Netanyahu and Aoun - and reports of Israeli attacks. Among other things, a bridge on the road connecting southern Lebanon to the country's north was bombed.
At least 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since the outbreak of the war. Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2, in retaliation for Israeli and US attacks on Iran on February 28. Since then, over a million people have been forced to flee their homes in Lebanon.
