Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended for another three weeks

The ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been extended for another three weeks. US President Donald Trump announced this. The decision was taken after a recent high-level meeting between representatives of the two countries in Washington.

On Friday (April 24) local time, President Trump announced this information on the social media site Truth Social.

Trump said that the discussion held in Washington was very productive. The United States will work with Lebanon to help protect the country from Hezbollah's influence. The process, he indicated, is part of a broader regional diplomatic effort, including initiatives related to Iran.

Earlier, the first announcement of the ceasefire came after a meeting held in Washington last week, which was supposed to end on Sunday. Its main goal was to end the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which had been going on for more than seven weeks. The conflict has escalated rapidly over the past few months and the situation has become fragile with regular attacks and counter-attacks across the border.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House soon. He thinks that Hezbollah is a big challenge in front of Lebanon. The United States is making every effort to stabilize the situation with them.

Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who were present at the meeting, called Trump's mediation historic. Leiter said the main goal of both countries is to remove the harmful influence of Hezbollah from Lebanon. They are working towards this goal.

Notably, this meeting was the first direct high-level contact between Israel and Lebanon in 30 years. According to analysts, this diplomatic initiative could pave the way for greater compromises in the future. However, even if the ceasefire is in effect, the reality on the ground is completely different. Both sides are still accusing each other of ceasefire violations.

On Thursday night, Hezbollah claimed rocket fire into northern Israel, which the Israeli military said it repelled.

Against this backdrop of conflict, the humanitarian situation has also deteriorated drastically. According to United Nations estimates, the conflict has displaced nearly one million people in Lebanon, about one-fifth of the country's total population. Many villages and homesteads in the southern region have been reduced to rubble.

According to Lebanon's Ministry of Health, at least 2,294 people have been killed so far. On the other hand, according to Israeli information, several civilians and at least 15 soldiers were killed in Hezbollah's attack.

Hezbollah is a very influential force in Lebanese politics. Many political groups in the United States, Israel and Lebanon have been demanding their disarmament. However, Hezbollah is still not interested in discussing this issue.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has warned that forced disarmament could spark violence in the country and that the only solution is through dialogue.

Source: BBC.

Innocent/Saa