US President Donald Trump has said he expected the Israeli and Lebanese leaders to meet with him over the next couple of weeks and voiced hope for a permanent peace deal this year after announcing three-week extension of ceasefire between the countries.
"I think there's a very good chance of having peace. I think it should be an easy one," Trump told reporters on Thursday as he met the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to announce an extension of a shaky truce.
"I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun," he added, referring to Benjamin Netanyahu by his nickname.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said Israel and Lebanon "have never been next to each other more than today."
Leiter thanked Trump and Vice President JD Vance for a day he said was decades in the making.
"We are going to keep going, working for peace. Let's hope we will get it as soon as possible," he said.
Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad thanked Trump for presiding over "this historic moment."
She said: "I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again."
Ceasefire violations
The countries, which lack formal diplomatic relations, held their first round of talks in more than 30 years on April 14 at the State Department.
The US-brokered 10-day ceasefire, which went into effect on April 16, had been slated to expire on Sunday.
Despite the truce, Israel has continued to violate the ceasefire.
Israel has killed over 2,200 people and displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon since March 2.
