U.S. President Donald Trump said leaders of Lebanon and Israel will speak, saying he was “trying to get a little breathing room” between the countries, after more than six weeks of war between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
“It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice!” Trump wrote in a social media post published before midnight on Wednesday, Washington time. It did not say which Lebanese and Israeli leaders would speak, or give any further details.
Meanwhile, an official source told AFP that Lebanon is “not aware” of any upcoming contact with Israel, after Trump said the leaders of the two countries would speak on Thursday.
The conflict spiraled out of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with the Iran-backed Hezbollah opening fire in support of Tehran on March 2, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon just 15 months after the last conflict.
The Israeli military said its troops were continuing “targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon”. Hezbollah kept up its attacks, firing rockets at two towns in Israel, the group’s al-Manar television reported. (Agencies)
