“Israel will no longer strike Lebanon. It is prohibited from doing so by the United States. Enough is enough!” – Trump wrote.
This contradicts the agreement on a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, announced earlier, according to Tel Aviv. Netanyahu was “shocked and alarmed” after reading the White House leader's post, the sources said.
Trump's statement “caught Netanyahu and his team by surprise,” the publication points out. Advisers, including Israel's ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, began urgently to clarify Washington's position on this matter.
Israeli officials asked the White House for clarification and stressed that Trump's comment was contrary to the agreement. After Axios contacted the White House for comment, an American official clarified the meaning of Trump's words.
“The President's ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel clearly states that Israel will not conduct offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, but retains the right of self-defense against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks,” the source said.
Context
Israel and Lebanon have regularly exchanged attacks on each other's territory since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023 and began war in the Gaza Strip. The situation escalated in September 2024 after dozens of people were killed in explosions in Lebanon pagers And walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah militants. According to media reports, Israel was behind the attack, although He officially denied his involvement in the incidents.
On September 18, 2024, Israel announced about the “new phase of the war” and the transfer of troops to the border with Lebanon. Hezbollah, in turn, promised to respond to the attacks. In November, 46th US President Joe Biden announced that Lebanon and Israel agreed to the US proposal to end the armed conflict. However, in December, the IDF accused Hezbollah of violating the truce and attacked Lebanon.
On March 14, 2026, Axios, citing Israeli and American officials, reported that Israel was moving the “center of gravity” of military efforts to the border with Lebanon as a new stage of the war began.
