Israeli forces launched fresh air strikes on southern Lebanon on Wednesday, despite growing criticism from Donald Trump, United States President over Israel’s military actions in the country.
- +Israel carries out new Lebanon strikes despite Trump calls for restraint
The attacks came just days after the United States and Iran announced a new agreement intended to end the wider Middle East conflict and restore stability across the region, including Lebanon.
The attacks came just days after the United States and Iran announced a new agreement intended to end the wider Middle East conflict and restore stability across the region, including Lebanon. However, the full text of the agreement has not been released publicly.
Speaking at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise greater restraint in Lebanon, saying the conflict had continued for too long and had caused too many deaths.
“I have a great relationship with Netanyahu, but I did not like that he did an attack. That was too much,” Trump said.
The US president also highlighted Washington’s long standing support for Israel, saying, “Without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did.”
Despite diplomatic efforts, tensions remain high. Israel and Hezbollah have continued exchanging attacks since the US Iran agreement was announced on Sunday. An Israeli strike on Beirut earlier in the week, carried out in response to a Hezbollah rocket attack, raised concerns about the future of the fragile peace effort.
Netanyahu has insisted that Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon for “as long as necessary”, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any further Israeli strikes or continued military presence on Lebanese territory could be considered a violation of the interim agreement with Washington.
The agreement, described as a memorandum of understanding, is expected to be formally signed on Friday in the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock, according to Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry.
Trump said he would likely unveil the details of the deal at a news conference and read the agreement “word by word”. He said the agreement would ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon and would guarantee the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil supplies.
Trump also contrasted the deal with the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former United States President Barack Obama, arguing that his administration had secured stronger terms without offering Tehran financial concessions.
According to BBC, the latest violence underscores the challenge of turning diplomatic agreements into lasting peace as decades of hostility and mistrust continue to shape relations between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran.
