Published on •Updated
Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire on Tuesday, just hours after US President Donald Trump said the two sides had agreed to halt hostilities.
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Trump wrote on Truth Social that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had turned back troops following a request not to carry out a planned raid on Beirut. He added that, through intermediaries, Hezbollah had also agreed to cease attacks, with Israel expected to reciprocate.
On Tuesday, the warring parties appeared to contradict Trump’s announcement, with Israel conducting strikes on southern Lebanon and Hezbollah firing into northern Israel.
There has been no clear public confirmation from either side that a formal ceasefire is in place.
Netanyahu signalled that Israeli operations could continue, saying Israel would strike targets in Beirut if Hezbollah did not stop attacks on Israeli towns and civilians.
Lebanon’s authorities said Hezbollah had agreed to a US-backed proposal for a “mutual cessation of attacks”, under which Israel would halt strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in exchange for an end to cross-border fire.
The renewed violence follows a sharp escalation in recent days, with Israeli forces carrying out their deepest incursion into Lebanon in two decades and conducting heavy bombardment, including threats to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to hold talks on Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, DC.
The hostilities also threaten to undermine the emerging deal to extend the ceasefire in the Iran war. Trump said yesterday that indirect talks with Iran were continuing at a “rapid pace.” Tehran wants any agreement to include Lebanon.
