Following discussions at the White House on Thursday, President Donald Trump said that Israel and Lebanon had decided to extend a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group by three weeks.
Although he conceded that "they do have Hezbollah to think about" at an Oval Office discussion, Trump claimed that the second meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the US went "very well." Since the initial ceasefire went into force last Friday, both sides have repeatedly violated it, and the Iranian-backed faction has rejected the negotiations.Despite this, these were the first direct diplomatic discussions between Israel and Lebanon in decades, and they marked a significant advancement for the two nations, which had been at war since Israel's founding in 1948. On Monday, the first 10-day ceasefire was scheduled to end.
Trump stated on social media, "The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah." Later in the Oval Office, he stated that he anticipates meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington within the next several weeks.In front of the ambassadors, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump assured reporters that Israel has the right to defend itself "if they're shot at, and they will."
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter stated, "We hope that together, under your leadership, we can formalise peace between Israel and Lebanon in the very near future."
Nada Hamadeh Moawad, the ambassador of Lebanon, praised Trump "for all your effort to help and to support Lebanon." "And I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again," she said, alluding to his "Make America Great Again" slogan.

The president of Lebanon, Aoun, had stated the day before that Hamadeh would request an end to Israeli home demolitions in cities and villages that Israel has taken over since the most recent conflict began on March 2.
Wider-ranging negotiations were being prepared. In remarks made public by his office, Aoun stated that the goal of the upcoming negotiations is to "fully" halt Israeli strikes, withdraw Israeli forces from Lebanon, free Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel, post Lebanese troops along the border, and start the reconstruction process.
Gideon Saar, the foreign minister of Israel, has urged Lebanon to assist Israel in disarming Hezbollah.

"There are no significant differences between us and Lebanon. During his Independence Day speech to Israel's ambassadors and diplomatic corps, Saar stated, "There are a few minor border disputes that can be solved." He referred to the neighbouring nation as a "failed state."
He added that Lebanon might enjoy "a future of sovereignty, independence, and freedom from the Iranian occupation" and that "Hezbollah is the obstacle to peace and normalisation between the countries."
Two days after Israel and the United States attacked Iran, Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, sparking the most recent conflict. In response, Israel launched a ground invasion and extensive bombardment of Lebanon, taking control of numerous border towns and villages.A buffer zone that extends up to six miles (10 km) into southern Lebanon is occupied by Israel's troops. Israel claims that its goal is to eliminate the possibility of anti-tank missiles and short-range rockets being fired in the direction of northern Israel.
The diplomacy has not involved Hezbollah. The Associated Press was informed by Wafiq Safa, a senior member of the group's political council, that it will not follow any agreements reached during the direct negotiations.
The Lebanese administration believes that the negotiations will lead to a long-term end to the conflict. Lebanon is adamant about speaking for itself, despite Iran's demand that the wars in Lebanon and the surrounding area end before engaging in talks with the United States.Israel and Lebanon held their first negotiations since 1993 last week. Both nations have depended on indirect contact, which is frequently facilitated by the United States or UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon.
In an attempt to halt the escalation and prevent Israel from launching its ground invasion, Lebanon's main political leaders swiftly suggested direct talks after Hezbollah fired missiles toward Israel on March 2 in support of Iran.
Amal Khalil, a prominent Lebanese journalist covering southern Lebanon, was murdered in an Israeli strike on Wednesday despite the subsequent ceasefire. According to Lebanese health officials, the Israeli soldiers opened fire on a responding ambulance, preventing rescuers from getting to her. A few hours later, her body was recovered from the debris of the collapsed building.