Khaberni - U.S. President Donald Trump announced today, Friday, the extension of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel for three weeks, coinciding with the launch of the second round of direct talks between them at the White House through their ambassadors to the United States, with the participation of the American ambassadors in Lebanon and Israel.
Trump said that the meeting in the Oval Office "went very well," adding that the peace file in Lebanon is "relatively easy" compared to other issues Washington is currently working on.
Trump expressed his anticipation for the upcoming meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, noting that they would come to Washington during the extended ceasefire period.
He explained that the United States would directly support Lebanon to enable it to "defend itself against Hezbollah."
In this context, Axios reported from Lebanese officials that a tripartite meeting between Aoun, Netanyahu, and Trump is unlikely as long as Israel occupies 6% of Lebanese territory and continues to conduct raids despite the ceasefire.
On his part, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said that extending the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel for three weeks is a major historic moment for the world, adding that the direct meeting between the leaders of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office happened for the first time thanks to Trump's efforts.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the extension provides an opportunity to work towards achieving lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon.
In the same context, French President Emmanuel Macron said it is necessary to maintain the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported from a source that Washington and Tel Aviv asked Beirut to cancel a previous decision that bans negotiations with Israel.
Lebanon and Israel - which have been officially at war since 1948 - held a round of talks in Washington on April 14th, which was the first of its kind since 1993.
Two days after these talks, the United States declared a 10-day truce for the war that resulted in the deaths of more than 2,400 people in Lebanon and the displacement of more than a million.
