After more than a week of an escalated Israeli bombing campaign and thousands of reported deaths in Lebanon, President Donald Trump said Thursday the two countries have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire.
“In order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account. He said the ceasefire will begin Thursday at 5 p.m. ET.
Trump said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing Israeli strikes.
Israel began its expanded bombing campaign shortly after Trump announced the U.S. and Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The strikes have led to tensions in the deal as Iran and Pakistani mediators both say Lebanon was part of the ceasefire but both the U.S. and Israel disagreed.
The attacks have killed more than 2,100 people, according to Lebanese health officials. Israel said it is targeting the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah. But Lebanon said the attacks have killed nearly 200 children, according to The Associated Press. The Israeli Defense Forces told the AP that it obeys the law when planning and initiating its attacks.
Following Israel’s latest wave of strikes, Hezbollah announced that it carried out counterattacks in Israel. Israeli officials said those strikes have killed at least a dozen IDF soldiers and two civilians.