Trump’s Peace Pitch Falters as Israel Keeps Hitting Lebanon
- Trump promised dialogue, yet the text shows missiles kept writing the real message.
- His peace pose looked polished, but Lebanon still faced strikes, deaths, and ruin that day.
- When bombs keep falling, peace branding can sound more like stagecraft than statecraft.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon would speak on Thursday for the first time in 34 years. He made the claim on Truth Social a day after Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors held direct talks in Washington. Neither Israel nor Lebanon immediately confirmed the planned contact.
Trump wrote, “Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon.” He then said the two leaders would speak “tomorrow” and added, “Nice!” Who, exactly, did Trump mean when he said the two leaders would speak on Thursday?
Trump’s Claim Follows Rare Washington Meeting
The announcement came after Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met in Washington, DC. The meeting marked the first direct diplomatic talks between the two sides in more than three decades.
Lebanon entered the US-Israel war on Iran on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel. Hezbollah said it acted in response to Israel’s killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.
The group also cited Israel’s near-daily violations of a ceasefire agreed in Lebanon in November 2024. Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 2,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 1.2 million, according to the text provided.
Israel Expands Operations as Talks Continue
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to expand its invasion in southern Lebanon toward the east. He said Israel was pursuing negotiations with the Lebanese government alongside its military campaign against Hezbollah.
Netanyahu said Israel wanted to disarm Hezbollah and secure what he called a “sustainable peace” with its northern neighbour. At the same time, Israeli forces continued attacks inside Lebanon as the diplomatic push unfolded.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military launched three consecutive strikes in the village of Mayfadoun. The attacks killed four Lebanese paramedics and wounded six others, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
Beirut Awaits Clarity Amid New Strikes
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said Lebanese officials had not yet commented on Trump’s statement. She described the remarks as “controversial” because Lebanon and Israel remain technically at war while Israeli attacks continue.
“This is really a taboo in Lebanon for a Lebanese leader and Israeli leader to speak,” Khodr said. She also said the US administration had pushed hard to separate the Lebanon front from the Iran front and weaken Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanon.
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Khodr said the Washington meeting appeared to be a “photo opportunity” tied to that effort. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks continued near Tebnine, close to one of southern Lebanon’s last remaining hospitals.
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, Israeli forces have killed at least 91 Lebanese medical workers since March 2. The ministry also said Israeli forces struck several medical facilities during that period.
Khodr reported two consecutive days of strikes around the hospital area in Tebnine. She said it was clear Israel did not want the area “to be liveable” as attacks damaged bridges and thousands of homes.
