Trump predicted Israel–Lebanon leaders would speak ‘tomorrow’ — Beirut swiftly shut it down

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will not speak pinch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for now, a Lebanese charismatic told Fox News Digital, dealing a setback to U.S. efforts to agent nonstop interaction betwixt nan 2 countries arsenic fighting continues crossed confederate Lebanon.

The improvement came aft President Donald Trump said precocious Wednesday that nan 2 leaders could speak for nan first clip successful decades.

"We are trying to create a small breathing room," Trump wrote connected Truth Social, adding that nan leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken successful immoderate 34 years and saying, "It will hap tomorrow."

But Lebanese officials quickly pushed back. A elder Lebanese charismatic told Fox News Digital that nary telephone betwixt Aoun and Netanyahu is apt earlier a ceasefire is reached.

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

Rescue workers hunt for victims astatine nan tract of an Israeli airstrike that deed a crowded neighbourhood southbound of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)

The charismatic said location is mounting home unit connected Lebanon's authorities not to deepen contacts pinch Israel while fighting continues, particularly because galore successful Lebanon judge nan authorities has already begun negotiations without receiving thing successful return.

The deficiency of a ceasefire aliases immoderate tangible concession has made nationalist sentiment progressively important, he explained.

Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun has nary plans to speak pinch Netanyahu successful nan adjacent future. Two of nan officials said Lebanon's embassy successful Washington conveyed that position to nan Trump management earlier Aoun held a telephone telephone Thursday pinch Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a little connection aft nan call, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun thanked Rubio for U.S. efforts to unafraid a ceasefire.

Shortly afterward, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun besides said by telephone pinch Trump.

According to nan Lebanese presidency charismatic X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to unafraid a ceasefire successful Lebanon and execute what it described arsenic a lasting bid and stableness that could pave nan measurement for a broader location bid process.

The presidency said Aoun urged Trump to proceed those efforts successful bid to extremity nan fighting arsenic quickly arsenic possible.

Trump, according to nan Lebanese readout, voiced support for Aoun and Lebanon and said he remained committed to securing a ceasefire arsenic soon arsenic possible.

Lebanon has made clear it wants a ceasefire earlier immoderate nonstop negotiations pinch Israel.

"A ceasefire is nan earthy introduction constituent for nonstop negotiations," Aoun said Thursday.

Aoun, who antecedently served arsenic commandant of Lebanon's U.S.-backed equipped forces earlier becoming president past year, said an Israeli withdrawal from confederate Lebanon would beryllium a basal first measurement earlier Lebanese troops could afloat deploy to nan separator region.

The negotiated conflict comes arsenic nan White House presses for a broader woody to extremity nan location warfare that erupted aft Iran-backed Hezbollah panic group entered nan conflict connected March 2 successful support of Tehran.

Hezbollah's involution opened a caller beforehand successful Lebanon conscionable 15 months aft nan past awesome Israel-Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate nan April 8 ceasefire betwixt Israel and Iran, said ending nan fighting successful Lebanon is basal to preserving that agreement.

ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE

A damaged building aft an Israeli strike, pursuing renewed hostilities betwixt Hezbollah and Israel amid nan U.S.-Israeli conflict pinch Iran, successful Beirut, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. Picture taken pinch a mobile phone. (Stringer/Reuters)

"Peace successful Lebanon is basal for bid talks," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.

The Israeli information furniture met precocious Wednesday to talk a imaginable ceasefire successful Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

Israeli officials person signaled openness to negotiations, but they are besides insisting connected continuing subject operations until Hezbollah is pushed distant from nan border.

Israeli Cabinet curate Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to speak pinch Aoun "for nan first clip aft truthful galore years of nary interaction betwixt nan 2 countries."

Israel and Lebanon stay formally astatine warfare and person had nary nonstop leader-to-leader interaction successful decades.

The latest U.S. negotiated push follows a uncommon gathering Tuesday successful Washington betwixt Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Those talks, held astatine nan State Department nether U.S. mediation, marked nan first face-to-face discussions betwixt elder Israeli and Lebanese officials successful much than 3 decades.

Still, nan imaginable of a nonstop telephone betwixt Netanyahu and Aoun has tally into beardown guidance wrong Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has opposed immoderate interaction pinch Israel, remains publically against negotiations.

At nan aforesaid time, Lebanon's authorities has progressively distanced itself from Hezbollah since nan panic group entered nan war.

The Lebanese authorities formally banned Hezbollah's subject activities connected March 2 and has spent nan past twelvemonth trying to disarm nan Iranian-backed group without triggering a broader civilian conflict.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified Thursday successful confederate Lebanon.

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In this photograph released by nan Lebanese Presidency property office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, 3rd left, U.S. lawman typical statesmanlike envoy to nan Middle East Morgan Ortagus, 2nd left, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson, left, astatine nan statesmanlike palace successful Baabda, successful eastbound of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office/AP)

Battles continued astir nan separator municipality of Bint Jbeil, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed panic group — that Israeli officials spot arsenic a cardinal nonsubjective successful nan current offensive.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were adjacent to "overcoming" Hezbollah successful Bint Jbeil.

The Israeli military's contiguous nonsubjective is to push Hezbollah farther from nan separator and forestall anti-tank missiles and different direct-fire weapons from threatening bluish Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said successful an question and reply pinch Fox News Digital. 

He said Israeli troops are now holding what nan subject calls "defense lines" respective kilometers wrong Lebanon, positions designed to support Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from erstwhile again overlooking Israeli towns.

"We're going to make judge we support diminishing them," Shoshani said.

Lebanese information officials besides said an Israeli airstrike destroyed nan past remaining span complete nan Litani River starring into confederate Lebanon.

The onslaught efficaciously trim disconnected astir a tenth of nan state from nan remainder of Lebanon aft earlier Israeli attacks destroyed different crossings.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Smoke billows aft reported strikes connected Beirut's confederate suburbs, pursuing an escalation betwixt Hezbollah and Israel amid nan U.S.-Israeli conflict pinch Iran, arsenic seen from Baabda, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

Israel has vowed to move nan area southbound of nan Litani River into a "no-go zone" for Hezbollah.

Israeli subject main of unit Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would nary longer beryllium allowed to run southbound of nan river.

The Litani River, which runs astir 20 miles northbound of Israel's border, has agelong been viewed by Israel arsenic nan statement beyond which Hezbollah forces should not beryllium allowed to operate.

Hezbollah responded Thursday pinch fresh rocket fire into bluish Israel.

Warning sirens sounded successful respective Israeli communities, sending residents into explosive shelters. There were nary contiguous reports of injuries.

According to Lebanese authorities, much than 2,100 group person been killed successful Lebanon since March 2 and much than 1.2 cardinal person been displaced.

Israeli officials opportunity Hezbollah attacks person killed 2 Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during nan aforesaid period.

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Hezbollah members salute and raise nan group's yellowish flags during nan ceremonial of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected their vehicles, successful Shehabiya successful southbound Lebanon connected April 17, 2024.  (AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached retired to nan State Department, Lebanon's embassy successful Washington and nan Israeli authorities for comment, but did not person responses successful clip for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.