Israel, Lebanon Add 3 Weeks to Ceasefire

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to prolong their ceasefire for another three weeks, President Trump said Thursday, even as exchanges of fire continued on the ground. The announcement was made shortly after Trump met with Israeli and Lebanese diplomats at the White House; Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia, did not take part and has not publicly responded to the announcement, the New York Times reports. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire on Monday, per the AP.

Despite the truce, Israel and Hezbollah traded rocket fire in southern Lebanon earlier in the day, and an Israeli strike near Nabatieh killed three people, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Hezbollah said it carried out three attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, though Israel reported no casualties. The ceasefire is seen as central to broader efforts involving Iran, the US, and Israel, but it depends in part on whether Lebanon's government can rein in or disarm Hezbollah. Trump also said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon would visit Washington soon for talks, per the Wall Street Journal.