Trump Says Israel, Hezbollah Pledge Deescalation Amid Beirut Evacuation Warnings
Israeli forces advance deeper into southern Lebanon, capture Beaufort Castle, and warn residents of southern Beirut to leave, while President Trump says both sides promised restraint; Iran suspends indirect nuclear talks with the U.S.
A truce in tatters
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in effect since April 17, has collapsed as Israel launches a new offensive in southern Lebanon. Over the weekend, Israeli troops pushed deeper, and on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the capture of the medieval Beaufort Castle and surrounding areas. On Monday, the Israeli military ordered residents of Beirut’s Dahiyeh district to evacuate, warning of strikes on Hezbollah command centers. The United Nations expressed deep concern, urging all sides to respect the ceasefire.
- Hezbollah enters the conflict and attacks Israel
- Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah comes into effect
- Israel launches renewed offensive in southern Lebanon
- Israeli forces capture Beaufort Castle
- Israel warns residents of southern Beirut to evacuate
- Trump says Israel and Hezbollah promised de-escalation
- Iran breaks off indirect talks with the U.S.
- European stock markets decline on the news
We are very concerned and call on all parties to respect the ceasefire and avoid a new escalation.
Trump’s assurances
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday, declaring that both Israel and Hezbollah had committed to de-escalation. In a phone call, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly promised Trump that no Israeli troops would enter Beirut. Trump also claimed, via intermediaries, that Hezbollah would “completely cease fire.” “Israel will not attack them and they will not attack Israel,” he wrote. He added that talks with Iran were continuing “at a rapid pace.”
Israel will not attack them and they will not attack Israel.
Diplomatic shockwaves
Trump’s optimism was undercut hours later when Iran’s state news agency announced Tehran had broken off indirect dialogue with Washington, citing the Israeli offensive in Lebanon. The European Union joined calls for restraint as the fragile diplomacy that had been set for Washington talks risked derailing. European stock markets reversed early gains, with London’s FTSE 100 and Paris’s CAC 40 closing in the red on the news.
A deepening humanitarian crisis
The renewed fighting compounds an already dire situation. Since Hezbollah entered the war in March by attacking Israel in solidarity with Iran, Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,000 people in Lebanon and displaced over a million, according to earlier reports. Thousands more Lebanese are now fleeing again, while residents of northern Israel face ongoing disruption from cross-border rocket fire. The collapse of the ceasefire threatens to turn a punishing campaign into a protracted new phase of the regional war.
