Trump tells Netanyahu to keep Lebanon strikes 'surgical' as ceasefire continues to erode
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump tells Netanyahu to keep Lebanon strikes 'surgical' as ceasefire continues to erode")
Fragile Israel-Lebanon ceasefire edges closer to collapse Photograph: (WION Web Desk)
US President Donald Trump has reportedly warned Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back Israel’s Lebanon campaign, urging “surgical” strikes instead of large-scale destruction because, in Trump’s words, flattened buildings “make Israel look bad.”
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US President Donald Trump has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel must limit its military operations in Lebanon to "surgical" strikes and avoid a full-scale resumption of the war. In a telephonic interview with Axios, the POTUS confirmed that he has done so because knocking down buildings "makes Israel look bad". This comes as the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire continues to fray, with the truce being only partially observed, even as the expiry date in mid-May draws closer.
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Only "surgical strikes"
Even as Hezbollah continues to conduct rocket and drone strikes and Israel continues to expand its airstrikes in Lebanon in response, Trump believes this is making Israel "look bad".
Trump, who has reportedly talked to Netanyahu every day this week, was informed by Netanyahu that Israel would have to increase Israeli attacks to counter Hezbollah attacks. "I told Netanyahu he has got to do it more surgically. Not knock down buildings. He can't do it. It is too terrible and makes Israel look bad," Trump told Axios.
He added that he likes Lebanon and its new leadership and believes the country can "make a comeback." "Iran ruined Lebanon. Their proxy [Hezbollah] ruined Lebanon. When Iran gets taken out, Hezbollah automatically gets taken out," said Trump.
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Israel-Lebanon ceasefire in pieces
This comes as the Lebanon ceasefire, brokered with US involvement, continues to erode on the ground. Israel has maintained a military presence in southern Lebanon and has been demolishing structures it says were used by Hezbollah. Hezbollah, for its part, has kept up rocket and drone attacks against Israeli forces and border communities. Israel has responded with expanded airstrikes, but Israeli officials are pushing for a far more forceful response and expressing frustration at the constraints Washington has placed on them.
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US officials are meanwhile framing Hezbollah as the aggressor, deliberately trying to derail diplomacy. "Hezbollah's strategy is clear: provoke, attack, and then blame Israel in order to kill the negotiations and make the Lebanese government look bad," one official said. "We cannot feasibly expect Israel to just take the hits. This is not the Biden administration." The same official said Washington has asked Israel to "show restraint" while a diplomatic track with Lebanon is given room to develop.
"We are going to massively increase our political campaign on Hezbollah and are looking for ways to get the Lebanese Armed Forces to overcome their challenges and intend to do this on a very rapid schedule," said the US official.
While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hosted two meetings between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, there has been no meaningful progress toward formal peace talks. Trump has expressed enthusiasm for a trilateral summit involving himself, Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
