Trump Announces Truce Between Israel, Lebanon

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, President Trump announced Thursday on Truth Social. The truce is scheduled to begin at 5pm Eastern, said Trump, adding that it followed "excellent conversations" he had with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports the AP. In a follow-up post, Trump said he planned to have both leaders at the White House soon for direct talks between them. Israel's continued bombardment of Lebanon had complicated US-Iran peace talks, and the truce could "remove a major hurdle" on that front, notes the New York Times.

Politico, however, points out that many unanswered questions remain about the new agreement. For one thing, Israel has been going after the militant group Hezbollah inside Lebanon, not the Lebanese army. "The Lebanese government has little control over the group, so a ceasefire with the country's official representation does not necessarily mean an end to the war," Politico notes. Hezbollah has not commented on the announcement. Still, investors seemed happy, with the benchmark S&P 500 rising again after Wednesday's record-high close, notes CNBC. Brent crude was at about $96 a barrel, up slightly over Wednesday.