Three-week extension of Israel-Lebanon ceasefire - Trump

US President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, said yesterday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire for another three weeks. The initial 10-day truce was set to expire on April 26.

The diplomatic breakthrough followed meetings between Trump and the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States.

Both nations are scheduled to engage in direct negotiations hosted by the U.S., in a bid to secure a permanent end to the conflict.

Writing on his X account, Trump described the discussions as "very smooth." He also stated that the U.S. will cooperate with Lebanon to help protect the country from Hezbollah.

The President added that he looks forward to welcoming Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in the coming weeks for further high-level talks.

Despite the formal agreement, tensions remain high on the ground. The Israeli military has continued to conduct operations against Hezbollah targets, citing violations of the initial truce.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that they “neutralized” two armed terrorists in southern Lebanon after they had approached Israeli troops, which the IDF categorised as a "direct threat."

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz struck a defiant tone, stating that Israel is waiting for a "green light" from the United States to resume full-scale military operations if necessary.

Katz warned that, if the war restarts, Israel’s primary target would be Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

He vowed that any renewed offensive would be "different and more lethal" than before, threatening to "return Iran to the Dark Ages."