Trump predicted Israel–Lebanon leaders would speak ‘tomorrow’ — Beirut shut it down as ceasefire emerges

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun volition not talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for now, a Lebanese authoritative told Fox News Digital, dealing a setback to U.S. efforts to broker nonstop interaction betwixt the 2 countries arsenic warring continues crossed confederate Lebanon.

The improvement came aft President Donald Trump said precocious Wednesday that the 2 leaders could talk for the archetypal clip successful decades.

"We are trying to make a small breathing room," Trump wrote connected Truth Social, adding that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken successful immoderate 34 years and saying, "It volition hap tomorrow."

But Lebanese officials rapidly pushed back. A elder Lebanese authoritative told Fox News Digital Thursday that nary telephone betwixt Aoun and Netanyahu is apt earlier a ceasefire is reached.

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

Rescue workers hunt for victims astatine the tract of an Israeli airstrike that deed a crowded vicinity southbound of Beirut, Lebanon, April 5, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)

The authoritative said determination is mounting home unit connected Lebanon's authorities not to deepen contacts with Israel portion warring continues, particularly due to the fact that galore successful Lebanon judge the authorities has already begun negotiations without receiving thing successful return.

The deficiency of a ceasefire oregon immoderate tangible concession has made nationalist sentiment progressively important, helium explained.

Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun has nary plans to talk with Netanyahu successful the adjacent future. Two of the officials said Lebanon's embassy successful Washington conveyed that presumption to the Trump medication earlier Aoun held a telephone telephone Thursday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a little connection aft the call, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun thanked Rubio for U.S. efforts to unafraid a ceasefire.

Shortly afterward, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun besides spoke by telephone with Trump.

According to the Lebanese presidency authoritative X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to unafraid a ceasefire successful Lebanon and execute what it described arsenic a lasting bid and stableness that could pave the mode for a broader determination bid process.

The presidency said Aoun urged Trump to proceed those efforts successful bid to halt the warring arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

Trump, according to the Lebanese readout, voiced enactment for Aoun and Lebanon and said helium remained committed to securing a ceasefire arsenic soon arsenic possible.

Less than an hr later, Trump announced connected Truth Social that helium had separately spoken with some Aoun and Netanyahu and said the 2 sides had agreed to formally statesman a 10-day ceasefire astatine 5 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday. 

"I conscionable had fantabulous conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel," Trump wrote.

Trump said helium had directed Vice President JD Vance, Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan "Razin'" Caine to enactment with some sides to execute what helium called a "lasting peace." 

"It has been my Honor to lick 9 Wars crossed the World, and this volition beryllium my 10th, truthful let's, GET IT DONE!", the president wrote.

The announcement appeared to people a displacement from earlier statements by Lebanese officials that Aoun would not talk straight with Netanyahu earlier a ceasefire was successful place.

Lebanon has made wide it wants a ceasefire earlier immoderate nonstop negotiations with Israel.

"A ceasefire is the earthy introduction constituent for nonstop negotiations," Aoun said Thursday.

Lebanon has made wide it wants a ceasefire earlier immoderate nonstop negotiations with Israel.

"A ceasefire is the earthy introduction constituent for nonstop negotiations," Aoun said Thursday.

Aoun, who antecedently served arsenic commandant of Lebanon's U.S.-backed equipped forces earlier becoming president successful 2025, said an Israeli withdrawal from confederate Lebanon would beryllium a indispensable archetypal measurement earlier Lebanese troops could afloat deploy to the borderline region.

The diplomatic quality comes arsenic the White House presses for a broader woody to extremity the determination warfare that erupted aft Iran-backed Hezbollah panic radical entered the struggle March 2 successful enactment of Iran. 

Hezbollah's involution opened a caller beforehand successful Lebanon conscionable 15 months aft the past large Israel–Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire betwixt Israel and Iran, said ending the warring successful Lebanon is indispensable to preserving that agreement.

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A damaged gathering aft an Israeli strike, pursuing renewed hostilities betwixt Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli struggle with Iran, successful Beirut, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. (Stringer/Reuters)

"Peace successful Lebanon is indispensable for bid talks," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.

The Israeli information furniture met precocious Wednesday to sermon a imaginable ceasefire successful Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

Israeli officials person signaled openness to negotiations, but they are besides insisting connected continuing subject operations until Hezbollah is pushed distant from the border.

Israeli Cabinet curate Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to talk with Aoun "for the archetypal clip aft truthful galore years of nary interaction betwixt the 2 countries."

Israel and Lebanon stay formally astatine warfare and person had nary nonstop leader-to-leader interaction successful decades.

The latest U.S. diplomatic propulsion follows a uncommon gathering Tuesday successful Washington betwixt Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Those talks, held astatine the State Department nether U.S. mediation, marked the archetypal face-to-face discussions betwixt elder Israeli and Lebanese officials successful much than 3 decades.

Still, the imaginable of a nonstop telephone betwixt Netanyahu and Aoun has tally into beardown absorption wrong Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has opposed immoderate interaction with Israel, remains publically against negotiations.

At the aforesaid time, Lebanon's authorities has progressively distanced itself from Hezbollah since the panic radical entered the war.

The Lebanese authorities formally banned Hezbollah's subject activities March 2 and has spent the past twelvemonth trying to disarm the Iranian-backed radical without triggering a broader civilian conflict.

Meanwhile, warring intensified Thursday successful confederate Lebanon.

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In this photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency property office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, 3rd left, U.S. lawman peculiar statesmanlike envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, 2nd left, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson, left, astatine the statesmanlike palace successful Baabda, successful eastbound of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office/AP)

Battles continued astir the borderline municipality of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed panic radical — that Israeli officials spot arsenic a cardinal nonsubjective successful the existent offensive.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were adjacent to "overcoming" Hezbollah successful Bint Jbeil, Lebanon. 

The Israeli military's contiguous nonsubjective is to propulsion Hezbollah farther from the borderline and forestall anti-tank missiles and different direct-fire weapons from threatening bluish Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said successful an interrogation with Fox News Digital. 

He said Israeli troops are present holding what the subject calls "defense lines" respective kilometers wrong Lebanon, positions designed to support Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from erstwhile again overlooking Israeli towns.

"We're going to marque definite we support diminishing them," Shoshani said.

Lebanese information officials besides said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the past remaining span implicit the Litani River starring into confederate Lebanon.

The onslaught efficaciously chopped disconnected astir a tenth of the state from the remainder of Lebanon aft earlier Israeli attacks destroyed different crossings.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Smoke billows aft reported strikes connected Beirut's confederate suburbs, pursuing an escalation betwixt Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli struggle with Iran, arsenic seen from Baabda, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

Israel has vowed to crook the country southbound of the Litani River into a "no-go zone" for Hezbollah.

Israeli subject main of unit Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would nary longer beryllium allowed to run southbound of the river.

The Litani River, which runs astir 20 miles northbound of Israel's border, has agelong been viewed by Israel arsenic the enactment beyond which Hezbollah forces should not beryllium allowed to operate.

Hezbollah responded Thursday with caller rocket occurrence into bluish Israel.

Warning sirens sounded successful respective Israeli communities, sending residents into weaponry shelters. There were nary contiguous reports of injuries.

More than 2,100 radical person been killed successful Lebanon since March 2 and much than 1.2 cardinal person been displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. 

Israeli officials accidental Hezbollah attacks person killed 2 Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during the aforesaid period.

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Hezbollah members salute and rise the group's yellowish flags during the ceremonial of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected their vehicles, successful Shehabiya successful southbound Lebanon April 17, 2024.  (AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached retired to the State Department, Lebanon's embassy successful Washington and the Israeli authorities for comment, but did not person responses successful clip for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.