Trump says Lebanon ceasefire extended as Israel continues strikes

United States President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire in Lebanon, even as Israel continued bombing the country on Friday.

Trump revealed the extension in a Truth Social post following a meeting at the White House with Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador, Nada Moawad.

The talks came after a day of Israeli strikes in Lebanon that killed seven people, including a journalist.

The extension will prolong a fragile 10-day truce agreed last week, pushing it into mid-May.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued air strikes in southern Lebanon, alongside home demolitions and ground raids. Following repeated violations, Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel earlier this week. 

The two sides exchanged fire even as talks were underway in Washington.

On Friday morning, shortly after the extension was announced, Lebanese media reported Israeli strikes and artillery shelling on the outskirts of Majdal Zoun, Touline, Kherbet Selem and the al-Rihan highlands.

The extension comes as the US mediates talks between Israel and the Lebanese government. 

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Trump said on Thursday he expects Israeli and Lebanese leaders to meet him in the coming weeks, expressing hope for a permanent agreement this year.

“I think there’s a very good chance of having peace. I think it should be an easy one,” he told reporters.

Hezbollah, which has been fighting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, has rejected the talks.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told The Washington Post that any deal would require a “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, including from the so-called buffer zone.

Israel resumed a full-scale war on Lebanon on 2 March after more than a year of ceasefire violations following a November 2024 truce with Hezbollah.

Since then, Israeli forces have expanded their ground offensive, advancing several kilometres into southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials have also declared a “buffer zone” extending roughly 10km into Lebanese territory, where troops remain deployed, and civilians are barred from returning to their villages.