President Donald Trump said Hezbollah would be part of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mere hours after announcing a 10-day pause in hostilities between the two feuding nations.
“They’re going to be having a ceasefire, and that’ll include Hezbollah,” Trump said on Thursday afternoon before departing for Las Vegas.
Trump also said he had a “great talk” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Earlier in the day, Trump announced a ceasefire between the two nations that will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The original announcement did not include Hezbollah in the ceasefire deal. But Trump again clarified that the deal does in fact apply to the group.
“I think we will have an agreement between Lebanon and they’re going to take care of Hezbollah,” Trump told reporters. “They’re going to be working on Hezbollah right now, but we’ll have an agreement between Israel, very importantly, and Lebanon.”
Israel had continued to attack Hezbollah, the U.S.-designated terrorist organization based in Lebanon, even after the United States and Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire earlier this month.
Iran had repeatedly claimed that any permanent ceasefire deal with the U.S. must include Israel ceasing its attack against Hezbollah.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES 10-DAY CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND LEBANON
Trump also claimed leaders from Israel and Lebanon will meet at the White House in the coming days, although that could change as the leaders negotiate the exact timing of their meeting.
“They’ll be meeting, probably coming to the White House, over the next four or five days,” Trump said. “That’ll be the first time they met in 44 years, which is pretty unneighborly.”
