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Middle East crisis live: Conflict continues in Lebanon despite Trump hailing Israeli-Hezbollah de-escalation
TL;DR
Donald Trump announced a de-escalation agreement between Hezbollah and Israel amid ongoing conflict in Lebanon. The agreement aims to prevent attacks on Beirut and its suburbs, but does not resolve the overall crisis.
Key points
- Donald Trump announced a de-escalation agreement.
- Hezbollah pledged not to attack Israel.
- Israel agreed to pull back troops from Beirut.
- The conflict in Lebanon has killed thousands.
- The agreement does not resolve the overall crisis.
Mentioned in this story
Donald TrumpHezbollahIsraelBenjamin NetanyahuLebanonBeirutIran
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.
Donald Trump has hailed an agreement to de-escalate the fighting in Lebanon, which has killed thousands of people and inflamed tensions in the broader US-Israeli war with Iran.
Trump said Hezbollah, through intermediaries, had pledged not to attack Israel, while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to pull back any troops preparing to attack Beirut.
“Let’s see how long that lasts – Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
According to Lebanon’s embassy in Washington, the agreement would not end the conflict in that country. But it calls for Israel to refrain from strikes on Beirut and its suburbs controlled by Hezbollah, while the Iran-aligned group would halt its attacks on Israel.
Traffic on a Beirut highway on Monday as residents flee after an Israeli threat to strike the southern suburbs. Photograph: Bilal Hussein/AP
Despite the agreement, hostilities in southern Lebanon – which Israel invaded in March – appeared to continue. This morning, the Israeli military said that it intercepted two projectiles that crossed from Lebanon into northern Israel, and that no injuries were reported.
After Trump’s announcement, Netanyahu said Israel would continue military operations in southern Lebanon, where ground forces are pushing toward the Zahrani River, their deepest incursion in Lebanon in 25 years. His statement made no mention of a new ceasefire.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group would support a full ceasefire across all Lebanon as a precursor to the withdrawal of Israeli troops. He did not say whether the group would stop its strikes on Israeli territory.
Q&A
What did Donald Trump say about the Israel-Hezbollah conflict?
Donald Trump hailed an agreement for Hezbollah to refrain from attacking Israel and for Israel to pull back troops from Beirut.
How many people have been killed in the Lebanon conflict?
The ongoing conflict in Lebanon has resulted in thousands of deaths.
What does the de-escalation agreement entail?
The agreement calls for Israel to avoid strikes on Beirut and for Hezbollah to halt its attacks on Israel.
Will the agreement end the conflict in Lebanon?
No, the agreement is not expected to end the conflict in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese embassy in Washington.
