When the two-week ceasefire in the Middle East was implemented, Israel made it clear that Lebanon was not included in the truce.
Tel Aviv continued its military operations in the country, targeting the militant group Hezbollah, which it considers a threat to its national security.
However, last Thursday, April 16, fighting temporarily halted after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted a call from the United States for a 10-day ceasefire.
The pause was intended to give way for peace talks.
However, this week, that temporary truce was set to expire. But similar to developments involving Iran, the ceasefire has now been extended.
Based on a post on Truth Social by United States President Donald Trump, the truce has been extended to three weeks following a meeting in Washington with officials from both Israel and Lebanon.
The United States, acting as mediator, said discussions progressed smoothly and pledged to work with Lebanon to help protect it from Hezbollah.
Trump later reinforced this in a press conference held at his office after the meeting.
Joining him were Israel’s ambassador to Washington Michael Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. Nada Moawad.
Lebanese Ambassador Nada expressed appreciation for what she described as Trump’s dedication to supporting and assisting Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador Leiter emphasized what he called a shared position between Israel and Lebanon in addressing the threat posed by Hezbollah.
Also present at the press conference were US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa.
Meanwhile, Trump also said he expects visits in the coming weeks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington, to continue negotiations.