KARACHI – Israel agreed to initiate direct ceasefire negotiations with Lebanon following a reportedly “tense” phone call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the international media reported on Saturday.
A report by Bloomberg stated that Lebanon was unexpectedly included in a broader ceasefire arrangement, while CNN noted that Israel’s decision came shortly after the high-level conversation between the two leaders.
Sources in the United States and Israel described Thursday’s call as “harsh,” indicating strong pressure from Washington. Shortly after the call, Israel announced its willingness to begin direct talks with Lebanon on a ceasefire.
According to reports, Netanyahu concluded that failure to engage in negotiations could prompt Trump to unilaterally declare a ceasefire involving Lebanon.
The development follows Trump’s recent announcement of a two-week ceasefire with Iran, amid concerns that continued Israeli strikes could undermine the truce.
During the call, Trump also urged Netanyahu to scale down military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, particularly after Israeli attacks on Wednesday reportedly resulted in 303 fatalities.
Bloomberg reported that Netanyahu had been informed only shortly before the conversation that Lebanon would be included in the proposed ceasefire framework.
