India, April 18 -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday said the recently agreed ceasefire should lead to "permanent agreements," though he did not clarify whether this meant a future peace deal with Israel.

In his first televised address since the US-brokered truce ended six weeks of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, Aoun said the next step was to move beyond a temporary halt in violence.

The agreement outlines plans for direct talks between Israel and Lebanon aimed at achieving peace.

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He thanked Donald Trump and regional players for their role in securing the ceasefire.

Calling it a "new phase," Aoun said Lebanon must now shift from pursuing a ceasefire to w...