President Donald Trump said on Monday he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah, through intermediaries, and he was able to convince both sides to back down from what appeared to be an imminent escalation.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back. Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel,” the president said on Truth Social Monday afternoon.
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Trump’s announcement came only hours after Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Israel Katz authorized Israeli forces to start new operations targeting Beirut.
“There will not be a situation in which Hezbollah attacks our cities and our citizens, and its terrorist headquarters in Beirut, in Dahiyeh, remains out of bounds,” Netanyahu said prior to the president’s comments. After his conversation with Trump, Netanyahu reiterated that, “if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and citizens Israel will strike terror targets in Beirut,” and he called it “our firm position.”
He added, “At the same time, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon.”
The Trump administration has tried in recent weeks to bring Israeli and Lebanese officials together to come up with a plan to squeeze out Hezbollah’s control of the Lebanese government as a way to improve the security concerns for both countries.
Hezbollah, which is backed by the Iranian regime, is a longtime adversary of Israel, as is Iran.
Iranian state media reported earlier on Monday that Iranian leaders have decided to cease conversations with the United States about a possible ceasefire agreement to end the war. Iranian officials have said that Israel’s strikes targeting Hezbollah are a violation of the ceasefire agreement, whereas the U.S. and Israel disagree.
“I think we’ve been talking too much if you want to know the truth,” Trump told NBC News in response. “I think going silent would be very good, and that could be, that could be for a long time.”
He added on Truth Social, “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
IRAN TO PAUSE NEGOTIATIONS OVER ISRAELI STRIKES IN LEBANON: STATE MEDIA
Israel and Hezbollah had a ceasefire in place when Hezbollah restarted attacks on northern Israel in response to the start of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. As a part of that agreement, Hezbollah had to withdraw from the area south of the Litani River, which runs parallel about twenty miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border, and they have not. Hezbollah was supposed to comply with this requirement following the conclusion of the 2006 war with Israel but did not then either.
Hezbollah’s continued attacks into northern Israel and its presence near the border have necessitated Israel’s repeated attacks.
