President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks following high-level talks at the White House. The extension pushes back the expiration of the initial 10-day truce, which took effect last Friday after U.S. brokering.

Trump shared the news on Truth Social, stating, "The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS." He described the meeting as historic and involving Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other top officials. "The Meeting went very well!" Trump wrote, expressing optimism for peace.

The initial ceasefire began April 16 at 5 p.m. ET, announced by Trump after separate calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. It aimed to pause hostilities amid Israel's ground operation in southern Lebanon, which followed Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel on March 2. That escalation came days after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Israel currently holds a buffer zone up to 10 kilometers into Lebanon to neutralize short-range rocket threats from Hezbollah. Lebanese President Aoun has sought an end to home demolitions in occupied areas, Israeli troop withdrawal, prisoner releases, Lebanese army deployment along the border, and reconstruction aid. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar emphasized disarming Hezbollah as key to peace, calling Lebanon a potential partner absent Iranian influence.

Despite the truce, violations occurred. On Wednesday, Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil died in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon; officials alleged targeting of rescuers, which Israel denied. Lebanon's government is compiling a war crimes report and considering International Criminal Court involvement.

The conflict has killed about 2,300 in Lebanon, including many civilians, and displaced over 1 million. Hezbollah has rejected the talks, but Lebanon pursues direct negotiations for the first time since 1993 to end the war that began with Israel's founding in 1948.

Trump indicated plans for in-person Netanyahu-Aoun meetings and U.S. assistance for Lebanon against Hezbollah. The extension aligns with broader U.S.-Iran ceasefire efforts, where the Lebanon truce was a precondition. Markets reacted positively, with U.S. stock futures rising on the news.