At a critical juncture for developments in the Middle East, he had a telephone conversation with President Joseph Aoun and shortly after announced that a ten-day truce between Lebanon and Israel begins at midnight today.
But the US president did not stop there and with his post on Truth Social he announced that he is preparing a meeting between Joseph Aoun and Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
More specifically, in the relevant post, Trump said: “In addition to the statement just issued, I will invite the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, to the White House for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983 — that is, after a very long time.
Both sides want to see peace, and I believe that will happen — and quickly.”
In response to the above, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Nawaf Salam, welcomed the announcement and emphasized in a statement that the truce is “Lebanon’s central demand that we have been pursuing since the first day of the war”.
The atmosphere has been positive in the last few hours
From the beginning, however, there was optimism about the developments in Lebanon, as it was known that the Israeli Security Council met on the subject of a cease-fire, but also that Lebanon had already requested a truce. In addition, a US official had argued that Trump would “welcome” such a development.
It is noted that the meeting of the Israeli security council on Wednesday ended without a final decision. However, an Israeli defense official had indicated that there could be announcements even within the day. “We are at a crossroads. “, he said characteristically.
According to what became known about the communication between Aoun and Trump, the former had already thanked the latter for his efforts to reach a truce, while the American president had pledged to contribute to meeting Lebanon’s request “as soon as possible”.
Behind the scenes, the truce issue is seen as particularly sensitive for Israel’s prime minister, but it could facilitate broader US diplomatic moves, even in relation to Iran. In this context it is noted that according to reports, Israel does not plan to withdraw its army from southern Lebanon during the ten-day ceasefire that has been announced.
Doom the Israeli government with the truce
Also according to reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed security cabinet members that he had agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon at the request of United States President Donald Trump, rejecting all their requests for a formal vote on the matter.
“When Israel’s greatest friend, President Trump, acts in close coordination with us, Israel cooperates with him,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying, according to Ynet newspaper.
He also reportedly informed ministers that the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) would remain stationed at the “strategic points” they already control during the ten-day ceasefire, which begins tonight.
The remarks come after reports that ministers expressed anger at being informed of the ceasefire by the media rather than through an official cabinet decision.
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu’s discussion with the security cabinet took place over the ministers’ personal phones and not over secure lines of communication.
Netanyahu also reportedly pledged that the issue would be discussed at a later stage by the security cabinet.
How it affects the Iran front
Although officially the two processes are not linked, Tehran maintains that the ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon violate the ceasefire agreed with the US. Instead, Washington and Tel Aviv reject this connection, stressing that the Iran deal does not cover operations against Hezbollah.
However, today’s developments were preceded by the rare meeting in Washington mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which Israeli and Lebanese diplomats participated, as well as the separate communication between the US Foreign Minister and the Lebanese President Aoun.
These contacts were essentially the first direct communication between Trump and Rubio with the Lebanese president since taking office.
The next period is considered critical, as the situation in Lebanon is indirectly linked to the ongoing US-Iran negotiations, which, according to sources, have made progress in the last 48 hours.
The EU welcomes the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon announced by United States President Donald Trump, and reiterated that Europe will continue to demand respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity.
“I welcome the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that was announced and brokered by President Trump. This is a relief as this conflict has already cost too many lives,” von der Leyen wrote in a post on the X platform.
“Europe will continue to demand full respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And we will continue to support the people of Lebanon with significant humanitarian aid,” he added.
