Despite Trump’s ceasefire talk, Netanyahu says Israeli forces will continue offensive in southern Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that army troops will continue ongoing offensive in southern Lebanon, despite US President Donald Trump’s talk of a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah, Anadolu reports.

“I spoke this evening with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and citizens, Israel will strike terror targets in Beirut,” he said in comments carried by the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

“Our position remains unchanged. At the same time, the army will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon,” he added.

Trump said early Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had reached an understanding to cease attacks against each other.

Israeli media earlier said that Netanyahu and Trump spoke over the phone to discuss the situation in Lebanon and Iran.

It came amid Israeli military escalation in Lebanon and hours after Netanyahu ordered the army to carry out airstrikes in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Iranian media earlier reported that Tehran halted the exchanges of messages with Washington over the Israeli escalation in Lebanon.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said Israel had planned to attack Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday morning, but decided to postpone the bombardment due to US intervention.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf, alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Efforts for a solution, however, have continued since.