Ceasefire strained as Israel hits Lebanon

Despite a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, Israel has continued strikes in Lebanon, targeting strongholds of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The escalation has placed Benjamin Netanyahu at the center of uncertainty over whether the truce can hold and whether broader efforts to end the conflict can move forward.

As U.S. President Donald Trump publicly signaled that Israel would scale back its operations, Israeli officials said they would pursue direct talks with the Lebanese government aimed at disarming Hezbollah. The effort is expected to face resistance from the group, raising doubts about the prospects for progress.

According to The New York Times and other reports on April 9, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 303 people and injured 1,150 in Lebanon on April 8, the first day of the ceasefire. After Iran warned it could reconsider the truce, Trump said he had urged Netanyahu to exercise restraint.

In an interview with NBC on April 9, President Trump said Israel was reducing the scale of its operations. “I spoke with Bibi, and he agreed to tone it down,” Trump said. “We need to move more carefully and quietly.”

Trump had initially supported including Lebanon in the ceasefire. However, CBS reported, citing multiple diplomatic sources, that although Iran, Pakistan and Israel had agreed to that framework, Trump shifted his position after speaking with Benjamin Netanyahu and later indicated Lebanon would not be covered.

Later on April 9, Netanyahu said Israel would continue its campaign against Hezbollah while opening direct negotiations with the Lebanese government to pursue the group’s disarmament. “There have been repeated requests from the Lebanese side to begin direct talks with Israel,” he said in a statement. “I have instructed the cabinet to move forward as soon as possible.”

Israel’s approach points to parallel tracks of military pressure and diplomatic outreach. Whether those efforts can gain traction remains unclear.

The New York Times reported that Hezbollah has long rejected demands for state-led disarmament and resumed attacks on April 9 in response to Israeli strikes, making an immediate diplomatic breakthrough unlikely.


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