Netanyahu backtracks on Beirut strike plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under criticism from both allies and opponents after deciding not to proceed with a threatened strike on Hezbollah targets in Beirut following pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu said on Monday that he had ordered the Israeli military to target sites in the Lebanese capital in response to Hezbollah drone attacks on northern Israel, the Financial Times reported.
The threat sharply raised tensions between Israel and Hezbollah and fuelled concerns that a US-brokered ceasefire announced in April could collapse.
However, after a phone conversation with Trump later that day, Israel did not carry out the planned strikes. Trump later said he had urged Netanyahu to abandon what he described as a planned “major raid” and claimed the Israeli leader had “turned his troops around.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “[Hizbollah] agreed to stop shooting at Israel and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them. Let’s see how long that lasts – Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!”
Netanyahu’s decision triggered criticism across Israel’s political spectrum. Critics argued that backing down weakened Israel’s ability to respond forcefully to Hezbollah attacks at a time when public support for tougher military action remains strong.
Naftali Bennett, the former prime minister and one of Netanyahu’s key rivals ahead of expected Israeli elections, accused him of “losing control over Israeli sovereignty.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who heads the Yesh Atid party, said Netanyahu had turned Israel into a “vassal state.” Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar party, also criticised the move, writing on X: “There has never been a prime minister in Israel who accepted such a humiliating demand.”
The criticism also came from inside Netanyahu’s governing coalition. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged the prime minister to reject Trump’s request and intensify military operations against Hezbollah.
“You said that a strong prime minister tells the President of the United States – ‘yes’ when possible, and ‘no’ – when necessary. This is the time to tell our friend, President Trump – ‘no’,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.
“Now is the time to do what is required and necessary to strike Hezbollah, to unleash the hands of our fighters, and to restore security to the north,” he added.
Trump’s intervention came amid broader regional tensions. Iranian state-affiliated media reported that Tehran had suspended negotiations with Washington over extending a separate ceasefire, citing Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and Gaza.
Iran has repeatedly said any extension of its ceasefire with the US must also include a truce between Israel and Hezbollah.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified in recent days despite the ceasefire announced on 16 April. Israeli forces have expanded operations in southern Lebanon and designated large areas as combat zones, while Hezbollah has continued launching rockets and drones into northern Israel.
Although Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks on Israeli territory since Trump’s announcement, the group said it targeted Israeli troops attempting to advance into the Lebanese village of Hadatha late Monday.
Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes continued in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, including attacks on the towns of Jebchit and Ansar, according to Lebanese state media.
