The White House on Thursday explained how the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel came together, starting with a meeting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio held with Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors on Tuesday.
A White House official said Lebanon acknowledged during the meeting that Hezbollah was a “mutual issue.”
Wednesday night: President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who agreed to a ceasefire “with certain conditions,” although White House officials did not provide details of those terms.
The president then instructed Rubio to call Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The talks, which took place Wednesday night, enabled Mr. Rubio to secure a cease-fire agreement from Lebanon.
Thursday morning: Mr. Trump spoke by phone with Mr. Aoun and then again with Mr. Netanyahu to finalize the deal.
The White House said the State Department was working in parallel with governments around the world to develop a memorandum of understanding for a ceasefire. The State Department announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a six-point statement outlining the terms of the ceasefire. Issues include Israel’s continued “right to take all necessary measures in self-defense” and the possibility that the ceasefire may be extended.
