Israel-Lebanon Extends 3-Week Pause, Markets Await Regional Impact
Trump said Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend the ceasefire by three weeks, allowing space for negotiations on a long-term deal and simultaneously reducing a major obstacle to efforts to end the US-Iran war. Trump announced the move in a social media post after meeting Israeli and Lebanese envoys in the Oval Office, and said he would soon host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Trump also stated that the US would work to help Lebanon “protect itself” from Hezbollah, without specifying the nature of the support. Lebanon’s ceasefire was previously scheduled to expire on April 26, and while Hezbollah was not a party to the original agreement, the group is said to have largely complied with its terms.
The extension is seen as crucial as Tehran has insisted that any deal with the US must include a halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Netanyahu previously stated that the conflict in Lebanon is separate from the US-Iran ceasefire and that operations against Hezbollah will continue—making the scope of the ceasefire a crucial point in regional diplomacy. (Arl)
Source: Newsmaker.id
