Tel Aviv: Senior Israeli figures have sharply criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for suspending planned military strikes in Lebanon after a direct appeal from US President Donald Trump.
The development follows a tense telephone conversation between the two leaders, during which Trump voiced strong dissatisfaction with Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah, describing them as disproportionate, according to a US official cited by Axios.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump revealed that he had urged Netanyahu against launching a major operation in Beirut. “He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi!” Trump wrote. The US President added that he had also engaged with representatives of Hezbollah’s leadership, who reportedly agreed to cease attacks on Israel and its forces.
Despite the pause, Netanyahu’s office stated on X that Israel’s position remains unchanged and that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would continue operations in southern Lebanon as planned. Earlier, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz had directed the military to target Hezbollah positions in Beirut, The Times of Israel reported. Israel subsequently agreed to postpone those strikes.
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The decision has drawn strong backlash from across Israel’s political spectrum. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took to X to press Netanyahu to reject Trump’s request. “You said that a strong prime minister tells the President of the United States – ‘yes’ when possible, and ‘no’ – when necessary,” Ben-Gvir wrote. “This is the time to tell our friend, President Trump – ‘no’.” He called for unleashing the IDF to restore security to northern Israel.
Former IDF chief of staff and Yashar! Party leader Gadi Eisenkot labelled Trump’s directive “a humiliating demand, one that is blatantly unreasonable,” according to the Jerusalem Post. Eisenkot criticised Netanyahu for failing to demonstrate the resolve he had long advocated.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of treating Israel like a “protectorate state” of the United States. He emphasised that responsibility for Israeli citizens’ security rests solely with the Israeli government. MK Oded Forer similarly urged Netanyahu to fulfil his duty to protect residents of the north.
The controversy comes amid heightened tensions. Over the weekend, Israeli forces conducted their deepest ground incursion into Lebanon in 26 years, followed by strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
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