Donald Trump claims to have obtained a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. In a message published this Thursday, April 16 on his Truth Social network, the American president assures that “Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel reached an agreement” on a truce. This must come into force from 11 p.m. (Paris time) and last ten days. No official confirmation has, at this stage, been provided by either Tel Aviv or Beirut. No mention, either, of Hezbollah – central actor in the conflict and ally of Iran, directly involved in the hostilities.
“I have just had excellent conversations with the highly respected President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun and the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. These two leaders agreed that, to achieve PEACE between their two countries, they will formally begin a ten-day ceasefire”wrote the American president. A few minutes after this message, Donald Trump indicated that he wanted ” invite “ the two leaders at the White House, without advancing a date. “Both parties want PEACE, and I believe it will happen quickly”he insisted.
2,000 dead in Lebanon
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in early March, when Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel in support of Iran, which was targeted by a large Israeli-US offensive. In response, the Israeli army carried out military operations on Lebanese territory. According to Lebanese authorities, more than 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the conflict. About a million residents have been displaced, or nearly a fifth of the country’s population, according to the United Nations.
Two days ago, Israel and Lebanon agreed to open direct negotiations for a lasting peace, following discussions lasting more than two hours between their ambassadors in Washington. A first since 1993. Hezbollah, absent from these exchanges, denounced a “surrender” and claimed, at the very time of the discussions, rocket fire towards Israel. An attack which apparently had no effect on the ceasefire concluded this Thursday. The goal of the American president, however, is to achieve “lasting PEACE”he said, specifying that he had entrusted this mission to the “US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside US Army Chief of Staff Dan Caine”
