TEL AVIV — Officials in Israel view President Donald Trump’s unilateral declaration of a three-week Lebanon ceasefire on Thursday as a move born of desperation rather than a sign of holding out hope for a historic peace deal between the neighboring countries.

"Unfortunately, there is not much chance that we will see lemonade from this lemon either," a senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity, following the second round of ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington on Thursday. "The president is desperate. He understands the situation in Iran — he understands that it will be difficult to present it as a victory — and is trying to compensate with some achievement in Lebanon.”

Scavenging for a peace deal

Trump, the senior Israeli diplomatic source said, is ignoring the weakness of the Lebanese government and its inability to impose a permanent ceasefire on Hezbollah and disarm the pro-Iranian militia. “The president does not understand that things take time in the Middle East. It is hard to see a real peace agreement between Beirut and Jerusalem at the end of this process,” the source added.