ALBAWABA- US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon on Thursday, set to begin at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, following a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said both Israeli and Lebanese sides “desire peace” and expressed confidence that a broader settlement “will be achieved soon.” The Lebanese Presidency confirmed the call, noting that President Aoun stressed the urgent need for an immediate halt to hostilities.
The announcement came just hours after intensified Israeli airstrikes across southern and northern Lebanon, which killed and wounded civilians and caused widespread destruction. The Israeli military released footage showing the demolition of dozens of homes in the town of Bint Jbeil within minutes, saying the buildings were linked to Hezbollah infrastructure.
Israeli forces have maintained a siege around the symbolic Hezbollah stronghold for days, reporting near-daily clashes with fighters from the group amid continued cross-border escalation.
The truce declaration follows a series of diplomatic contacts aimed at de-escalation. Earlier this week, Israeli and Lebanese envoys held rare direct talks at the White House, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the first such engagement in decades. Trump had also indicated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Aoun could hold their first direct leader-level conversation in 34 years.
However, Lebanese officials have maintained that any direct negotiations must be preceded by a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and a full cessation of hostilities. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the announced truce, calling for a durable peace that ends the Israeli atrocities and ensures withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
The Lebanon track is linked to broader regional tensions following joint US-Israeli military operations against Iran earlier this month, which triggered a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered with Pakistani mediation on 8 April. That agreement excluded Lebanon, allowing continued Israeli operations against Hezbollah and complicating wider de-escalation efforts.
In Israel, former Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman criticised the ceasefire as “a betrayal of the residents of the North.”
