Israel Keeps Attacking Lebanon Despite U.S. Mediation, Says It Will Strike Beirut

[The Financial News] Israel, which has been pressing ahead with its offensive in Lebanon since last month in violation of a ceasefire agreement while saying it aims to drive out the pro-Iranian armed group Hezbollah, said it will continue its operation despite calls for restraint from U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to local media, including The Times of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement from his office on the 1st local time that evening. Netanyahu said, "Tonight I told Trump that if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and citizens, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon."
He added, "Our position on this has not changed," and emphasized, "At the same time, the Israeli military will carry out its operations in southern Lebanon as planned."
Iran, which has been holding ceasefire-related talks with the United States since April, has argued that the ceasefire terms included a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon. In a report on the 1st, Tasnim News Agency said Iran's negotiating team with the United States had suspended message exchanges aimed at reaching a peace deal with Washington in protest over Israel's attacks in Lebanon.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement on the 1st, "The United States bears direct responsibility for Israel's ceasefire violations in Lebanon." It added, "A ceasefire violation on one front means a ceasefire violation on all fronts," signaling the possibility of abandoning the truce.
Hezbollah joined the war in Gaza Strip, Palestine, in 2023 and attacked Israel, then agreed to a ceasefire in 2024. After the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, Hezbollah resumed attacks on Israel from March 2. Israel responded by expanding ground operations in southern Lebanon and bombing major cities. The Government of Lebanon, which does not control Hezbollah, began its first round of peace talks with Israel on April 14 with U.S. mediation and agreed to a ceasefire starting on April 17. However, Israel resumed military operations in southern Lebanon in May to expel Hezbollah.
Trump posted on Truth Social on the 1st after Iran disrupted ceasefire talks over the Lebanon issue. He said, "I had a very productive call with Netanyahu," adding, "There will be no troops going into Beirut. The troops that were moving have already been turned back." He also said, "I had a very good call with Hezbollah through very high-level representatives," and added that "they agreed to stop all firing at Israel."
Trump added, "Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel."



pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter