Smoke rises over a residential area following the Israeli attack on Beirut. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in the conflict involving Hezbollah.

• Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire, aimed at pausing fighting with Hezbollah.
• The proposed truce is linked to broader regional diplomacy, with Pakistan mediating talks tied to the wider conflict involving Iran.
• Israel has not committed to withdrawing troops, while Hezbollah says any ceasefire depends on a full halt to Israeli hostilities.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had ‌agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire at ⁠5 pm EST (2100 GMT), signalling a pause in Israel’s conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah ⁠that has raged in parallel to the war with Iran.

Trump’s statement, posted on Truth Social, did not specify which day the ceasefire would begin, but a US official said it would start on ‌Thursday.

Pakistan had earlier said that peace in Lebanon was essential for talks it is mediating to end the war between the United States and Iran.

Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told ‌Reuters the group had been informed by Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon that a one-week ceasefire could begin on Thursday evening.

Asked if Hezbollah would commit to the truce, Fadlallah said everything was tied to Israel’s commitment to halt all forms of hostilities, and credited Iran’s ‌diplomatic efforts for the possible ⁠ceasefire.

ROLLING COVERAGE | Lebanese PM ‘welcomes’ Israel ceasefire announced by Trump

Trump said he had held excellent conversations with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Israeli cabinet source said Netanyahu’s security cabinet had convened for an urgent discussion on the Lebanon ceasefire.

The US-Israeli war with Iran spilt into Lebanon on 2 March, when Iran-backed Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major conflict.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 2 100 people in Lebanon since 2 March and forced ⁠more than 1.2 million to flee, Lebanese authorities say. Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians, while 13 Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon since 2 March, Israel says.

An Israeli security official said the Israeli military had no plans ⁠to withdraw forces from southern Lebanon during any ceasefire.

Trump, in another social media post, said he will be inviting Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for “meaningful talks” between the two countries, which have remained in an official state of ⁠war since Israel was established in 1948.