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Welcome to The Logoff: Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire, President Donald Trump said Thursday in a social media post.
What is happening? The cease-fire, which Trump said would begin at 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday evening and last for 10 days, brings a more than month-long halt to the war, with the goal of allowing room for further negotiations.
It follows a US-hosted meeting between Israeli and Lebanese diplomats in Washington, DC, earlier this week – the first such event directly Israel-Lebanon talks in more than 40 years. Trump also announced on Thursday that he will invite Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for further talks.
What is the context? The current conflict in Lebanon began in early March, a few days after America and Israel attacked Iran. Hezbollah, based in Lebanon and supported by Iran, carried out attacks in northern Israel, and Israel has responded loudly: More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon and about 20 percent of the country’s population has been transferred.
Israel has also created what it calls a “buffer zone,” which it says will remain in place during the ceasefire, inside Lebanon’s southern border.
what is the main picture? Lebanon’s status briefly appeared to be a sticking point in ceasefire talks between the US and Iran earlier this month, after Iran said Lebanon should be covered by the same ceasefire. Israel, however, continued military operations; a day after Trump announced a cease-fire between the United States and Iran, Israel attacked killing more than 350 people in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
It’s unclear exactly what Thursday’s announcement could mean for U.S.-Iran talks, which Trump said Thursday could resume in person by the end of the week.
But if the new ceasefire holds, it is likely a positive sign. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Iran’s Parliament said Thursday that “Lebanon is an inseparable part of the complete ceasefire and has an important role in moving forward towards lasting peace in the region.”
And so, it’s time to leave…
Here’s a podcast recording that speaks for itself: Vox’s weekly call-in podcast Explain it to me up why should you have hope (and the difference between hope and hope).
As always, thanks for reading, have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!
