War

A 10-day ceasefire deal agreed between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump said he was trying to set up the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries.A 10-day ceasefire deal agreed between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump said he was trying to set up the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries.The truce, which Trump said would begin at midnight local time in Lebanon and Israel (2100 GMT), comes as Washington steps up efforts to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, with Tehran insisting a Lebanon truce must be part of any agreement.The Middle East war began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Lebanon was pulled in when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2.Since then, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced upwards of a million, while Israeli ground forces have invaded the country's south.The US leader said the deal to halt hostilities came after "excellent" phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun."These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST," or 2100 GMT, Trump said on his Truth Social network.He later said he expected Netanyahu and Aoun to visit the White House "over the next four or five days". It would be the first time the leaders of Israel and Lebanon have ever met.An Israeli hospital spokesman said three people were injured on Thursday, shortly before the truce began.An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Ghazieh killed at least seven people and wounded 33, Lebanon's health ministry said earlier Thursday.Netanyahu said the ceasefire with Lebanon offered an opportunity for a "historic peace agreement" with Beirut -- but insisted disarmament of militant group Hezbollah remained a precondition.Trump said Hezbollah was included in the ceasefire, but according to the US State Department the truce committed Lebanon itself to dismantle the Iran-backed militant group.