Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior aides were reportedly taken aback when US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would not allow further Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. According to Axios, which cited two sources familiar with the discussions, Netanyahu and his advisers were “stunned” by this declaration, prompting Israeli officials to seek clarification from the US government. This development coincided with the implementation of a 10-day ceasefire, brokered by the Trump administration, between Israel and the Lebanese government.
On Friday, Trump stated that the US had “prohibited” strikes in Lebanon, a position that alarmed Israeli leadership. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel committed to halting offensive operations but retained the right to take “all necessary measures in self-defense at any time against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.” Meanwhile, Hezbollah, the armed group that boycotted the ceasefire talks, insisted that Israel must cease all troop movements in southern Lebanon and revert to positions held prior to the escalation of conflict over a month ago.
The conflict began when Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut and other cities in early March, expanding its “security zone” in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets in support of Iran. Tehran has since made the cessation of Israeli operations in Lebanon one of the conditions for its own peace deal with the US and Israel. The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant humanitarian consequences, with Lebanese officials reporting nearly 2,200 fatalities and 1.2 million people displaced since early March. While the ceasefire represents a temporary pause in hostilities, it leaves unresolved tensions and the potential for further escalation, contingent on compliance and subsequent negotiations.
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