President Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should only take "surgical" military action in Lebanon and avoid a full resumption of the war, Trump revealed in a phone interview with Axios. The ceasefire Trump helped broker in Lebanon is being only partially observed, and officials in both Israel and Lebanon fear it will collapse entirely before expiring in mid-May.
The warning comes as the Israeli military continues to occupy southern Lebanon and flatten houses it claims were used by Hezbollah. Hezbollah has maintained rocket and drone attacks against Israeli forces and cross-border villages. Israel has expanded its airstrikes in response, but the government faces domestic pressure to escalate further.
No progress has been made in launching Israel-Lebanon peace talks, despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosting two meetings with the respective ambassadors. The Trump administration maintains the Lebanon ceasefire is unconnected to the ceasefire with Iran, but a resumption of war would further complicate diplomacy with Tehran.
Israeli officials are growing increasingly frustrated with the current situation, according to the report. The potential collapse of the ceasefire threatens to reignite a broader regional conflict that could draw in multiple actors.
Counter-argument: Some Israeli officials argue that limited action has failed to deter Hezbollah and that a more robust military response may be necessary to secure northern border communities.