President Donald Trump declared on Friday morning that he has forbidden Israel from bombing Lebanon further, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes they “have not yet finished the job” of destroying Hezbollah.
Trump brokered a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that went into effect on Thursday, even though Israel was at war with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed, U.S.-designated terrorist organization, which has a strong grip in the country. It’s unclear if Hezbollah will honor the deal.
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Trump said, “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!” He also said the U.S. will “work with Lebanon, and deal with the [Hezbollah] situation in an appropriate manner.”
He did not provide additional details about what would happen if a long-term deal is not agreed upon by the end of the ceasefire or if Hezbollah does not adhere to the agreement.
Netanyahu said on Friday, “The Hezbollah of today is a shadow of its former self compared to the boastful days of [deceased Secretary-General Hassan] Nasrallah. But I say honestly: We have not yet finished the job,” though he added, “At the request of my friend, President Trump, with whom we changed the Middle East and brought about tremendous achievements, we agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.”
His view that the job of “dismantling Hezbollah” has not yet been completed raises the specter of future military operations if diplomacy fails.
Israel’s and Lebanon’s ambassadors met at the State Department on Tuesday for their countries’ first direct talks in more than thirty years. Following the meeting, Tommy Pigott, the principal deputy spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said in a statement, “All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue.”
The Trump administration is attempting to broker improved Israel-Lebanon government relations to squeeze out Hezbollah’s, and by extension Iran’s, involvement in the country.
Trump said he spoke with both Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday and that he would be inviting both of them to the White House for “meaningful talks” at an undetermined time.
Hezbollah has been a military and political force within Lebanon for decades. The group and Israel have engaged in multiple wars over the last 40 years. The two sides went to war in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel, and they ultimately reached a ceasefire agreement in November 2024.
Hezbollah broke that ceasefire around the start of the U.S. and Israel joint war against Iran, and Israel resumed significant military operations primarily but not exclusively in southern Lebanon, the area that’s closest to Israeli territory.
TRUMP AND IRAN ANNOUNCE STRAIT OF HORMUZ ‘COMPLETELY OPEN’ FOR REST OF ISRAEL-LEBANON CEASEFIRE
The U.S. and Iran are also in the midst of a ceasefire agreement that is set to expire next Tuesday. Iran announced on Friday that he agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the transportation of oil, which Iran had closed. Global oil prices increased dramatically during the war.
American forces began their own blockade of ships coming into or out of Iranian ports on Monday and have deterred 13 ships thus far. One ship didn’t listen, tried to evade the blockade, but a U.S. naval vessel was able to successfully redirect the vessel. U.S. forces have not yet had to board a vessel, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday.
