President Donald Trump declared that Israel and Hezbollah have reached an understanding to dial back hostilities following discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and intermediaries communicating with the Lebanese militant group. This announcement came amid escalating violence in the region, where Israeli forces recently conducted their deepest operations inside Lebanon in decades.
Trump stressed that no Israeli troops would advance toward Beirut, confirming that any forces previously en route had already been turned back. According to the president, Hezbollah consented to cease all shooting, with the agreement that Israel would refrain from attacks, and Hezbollah would stop its assaults on Israeli territory.
Despite Trump’s statement, missile launches were detected from Lebanon moments later, prompting Israeli authorities to instruct residents in parts of northern Israel to seek shelter. The ongoing conflict has intensified after Israel launched strikes targeting southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold. Rockets fired by Hezbollah hit northern Israeli cities, including the outskirts of Haifa, escalating the confrontation.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement justifying the airstrikes as a response to repeated ceasefire violations by Hezbollah and attacks against Israeli civilians. The Israeli military warned residents in the southern Beirut suburbs to evacuate, emphasizing that further Hezbollah provocations would trigger additional Israeli operations in the region.
Hezbollah initially agreed to halt attacks in the ceasefire established in mid-April, but hostilities resumed following Israeli airstrikes deemed defensive by Israel. The flare-up complicates broader efforts to extend the ceasefire in the wider Iran conflict, as Tehran seeks to include Lebanese factions in any durable agreement.
In Dahiyeh, mass evacuations ensued after Israeli warnings. Locals filled roads attempting to flee the anticipated bombardment. Among them was Mohammed Farhat, a university student who fled with family, citing safety concerns despite his familiarity with prior conflicts.
Overnight Israeli airstrikes struck southern Lebanese villages near Nabatiyeh, resulting in multiple casualties, including a Syrian national. Key target areas included towns near strategic sites like the Beaufort Castle, recently contested during Israeli military advances. An afternoon airstrike in the port city of Tyre inflicted significant damage, further highlighting the intensifying military engagements in the region.