Trump: Iran 'must' stop funding Hezbollah to reach a deal | LIVE BLOG

IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon after rocket fire toward northern Israel's Shtula

The IDF says it struck Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon in response to rockets fired toward Shtula on Thursday. According to the IDF, the targets in the areas of Kherbet Selem and Touline were used to plan and carry out attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.

The IDF says it will continue to act “decisively” against threats directed at Israeli civilians and soldiers, in accordance with directives from the political echelon.

Trump: Great chance Israeli-Lebanon peace will happen this year, Lebanese president could meet Netanyahu during 3 week period

Following the talks, US President Donald Trump responded to a reporter's question at the Oval Office, saying, "there’s a great chance" that Israel and Lebanon could reach a peace agreement by the end of the year. He was also asked whether Iran has to stop funding Hezbollah in order to reach a deal with the US, to which he responded, “Yes, that is a must.”

In a Truth Social post published immediately after the meeting concluded, Trump said he also planned to host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House “in the near future.” He wrote, “The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” adding that the meeting went “very well.” READ MORE

Israeli Ambassador to US to Trump: We hope that under your leadership, we can formalize peace between Israel and Lebanon in the near future

Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stressed that the direction of the negotiations would be decisive. “To put the emphasis repeatedly in our talks on Israeli withdrawal is to fall into the trap once again of putting the emphasis in the wrong place. If we continue down that path, we are doomed to failure. And failure, friends, is not an option,” he said. 

He continued, “If, on the other hand, we put the focus on the root problem, Hezbollah, and its murderous intentions with regard to Israel, I have no doubt that we will succeed in eliminating the Hezbollah menace and achieving peace between our two countries.”

Leiter concluded by pointing to past normalization efforts, saying, “Peace between our two countries may seem like a pipe dream, but it is not anything of the kind. Before the Abraham Accords were signed, many people also thought it was impossible, but today it is a reality. President Trump’s vision became a reality, and now, in the case of Lebanon and Israel, it can become a reality once again.” READ MORE

Trump: Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by three weeks, Israeli-Lebanon meeting ‘went very well’

US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon shortly after presiding over the second round of ambassador-level talks between the two countries at the White House on Thursday, where Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter urged negotiators to focus on Hezbollah as the central obstacle to progress. 

Following the post, Trump briefly addressed reporters in the Oval Office together with senior officials and participants in the talks. Speaking to the press after the meeting, he said, “They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks of ceasefire,” and described the discussions as “a very historic meeting.” 

Vice President JD Vance also called it “a major, historic moment,” adding that the extension “would have happened without the President’s direct engagement.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the talks alongside senior diplomats. READ MORE