Hezbollah

Israeli army urges government to preserve freedom to strike across Lebanon

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Israeli military vehicles and tanks are stationed near the Lebanese border in northern Israel on March 14, 2026. [Tsafrir Abayov – Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli army has urged the government to preserve its freedom to conduct operations throughout Lebanon, maintain a buffer zone and pursue the disarmament of Hezbollah, an Israeli newspaper reported Thursday.

According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the army delivered what it described as an important message to Israel’s political leadership regarding future military activity in Lebanon.

The move came just hours after the US and Iranian presidents signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

READ: Trump turns on Israel over Lebanon war, says Syria could fight Hezbollah better

The report claimed that the recent decline in Israeli strikes deep inside Lebanon is not the result of a policy change but rather the absence of clear instructions from political leaders.

“The army does not know what is permitted and what is prohibited,” it quoted military sources as saying.

The Israeli military’s position appeared to contrast with provisions of the US-Iran understanding, which Iranian officials say include commitments to end military operations in Lebanon and respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

READ: Israel cannot stop home demolitions in southern Lebanon: Ben-Gvir

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingIsraeli army urges government to preserve freedom to strike across Lebanon

Hezbollah chief: Resistance thwarted ‘Greater Israel’ project, disarmament will not pass

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

A screen grab from a video shows Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem in Beirut, Lebanon on October 30, 2024. [Stringer – Anadolu Agency]

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that the resistance had succeeded in “thwarting the Greater Israel project” and protecting what he described as Lebanon’s existence from plans of “extermination and displacement”.

In a recorded speech, Qassem said that the basis of any negotiations with Israel should be “mutual security”, reiterating the group’s firm rejection of any proposal to disarm Hezbollah. He described such proposals as an “Israeli prescription” that would not be accepted.

He called on the Lebanese authorities and political forces to engage in internal dialogue to organise national affairs away from external dictates or any direct negotiations, stressing Hezbollah’s readiness to cooperate on efforts to protect Lebanon’s sovereignty.

READ: Israel cannot stop home demolitions in southern Lebanon: Ben-Gvir

Discussing the conflict, Qassem said developments since 1948 reflected what he described as Israeli expansionist ambitions, which he said reached their peak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of what he called the “Greater Israel” project.

He added that the issue was not about future intentions but rather “an ongoing aggression and continuous crimes against civilians”, claiming that women and children were being targeted under international cover.

Qassem said the Israeli project aimed to eliminate Hezbollah militarily, culturally and socially, arguing that this would amount to “the destruction of a large segment of Lebanese society”. He added: “We are not fighting only for land, but in defence of our existence and our future.”

He also reviewed what he described as the resistance’s achievements against Israeli occupation, saying they had helped prevent Israel from achieving stability or expanding its influence in the region.

OPINION: When the Iran War is over: Why the West Bank may be Netanyahu’s next front

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Continue ReadingHezbollah chief: Resistance thwarted ‘Greater Israel’ project, disarmament will not pass

Trump turns on Israel over Lebanon war, says Syria could fight Hezbollah better

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, United States, on May 12, 2026. [Kyle Mazza – Anadolu Agency]

“Syria can do the job” of fighting Hezbollah better than Israel, Donald Trump has said, in a remarkable rebuke of Tel Aviv’s war in Lebanon and its mounting civilian toll.

Speaking ahead of a bilateral meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the G7 summit in Evian, Trump said he was “not happy” with Israel’s handling of Lebanon and warned that its offensive was undermining Washington’s efforts to secure a wider regional deal with Iran.

“I’m not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah,” Trump said. “It just goes on forever, and when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal, and that’s the deal with Iran.”

“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody,” he added, in one of his sharpest public criticisms yet of Israel’s military tactics.

Trump then suggested that Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who took power after the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in 2024, should be allowed to confront Hezbollah instead.

READ: Trump says Israel’s Netanyahu must be ‘more responsible’ on Lebanon

“If Israel can’t do the job, without killing everyone else, he’ll do the job. Syria will do the job,” Trump said.

The US president said he had told Israeli officials that they should let Syria “take care of Hezbollah,” adding: “I think they’d do a better job of doing it.”

The comments underline growing frustration in Washington with Israel’s expanding war in Lebanon, which has become a major obstacle to US efforts to consolidate an agreement with Iran. The US and Iran have reached a framework to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ease the blockade on Iranian ports and begin a 60-day negotiation period towards a final settlement. The deal is also expected to include a ceasefire across several regional fronts, including Lebanon, where Hezbollah has supported Iran militarily.

However, Israel is accused of undermining the effort with strikes on Lebanon. 

Lebanon has become a key pressure point in the US-Iran negotiations. Tehran backs Hezbollah and has insisted that Israel’s continued presence and attacks in Lebanon must be addressed as part of any wider regional arrangement. 

READ: US pressures Syria to join Israel in war against Hezbollah

Trump’s comments suggest that the White House increasingly views Israel’s Lebanon campaign as a direct threat to its wider regional strategy. The US president had already warned Israel and Hezbollah to “stand down” after an Israeli strike on southern Beirut threatened to complicate the Iran talks.

Israel’s offensive in Lebanon began in March. Since then, Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,800 people, wounded thousands and displaced large numbers of civilians. Israeli ground forces have also occupied hundreds of square kilometres of southern Lebanon.

Israel has insisted that it will not halt its campaign until Hezbollah is defeated. But Trump’s remarks expose a widening rift between Washington and Tel Aviv over the scale, duration and political cost of Israel’s military operations.

Syria’s new rulers are also deeply hostile to Hezbollah because the Lebanese group fought on behalf of the deposed Assad regime during the Syrian civil war. That hostility appears to be what Trump was referring to when he said Al-Sharaa was “very good with Hezbollah” and “does not like them.”

But any Syrian military role in Lebanon remains highly unlikely. Al-Sharaa has denied reports that Syria is preparing to intervene, saying the rumours were “nothing but speculation” and stressing that Damascus wants to end the war in Lebanon, not expand it.

Al-Sharaa has dismissed claims of Syrian military intervention as “completely untrue,” adding that the priority was stability while Israeli attacks had displaced more than 1.5 million people.

READ: Israel orders evacuation of over 50 Lebanese villages ahead of air strikes

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingTrump turns on Israel over Lebanon war, says Syria could fight Hezbollah better

‘Without me there is no Israel’ says Trump warning Tel-Aviv to stop flattening homes

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

United States President Donald Trump (L) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) in the White House in Washington DC., United States on April 7, 2025 [Avi Ohayon (GPO)/Handout/Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump has delivered a rare public rebuke of Israel’s military conduct in Lebanon, warning that Israel is killing too many civilians in its war with Hezbollah and does not need to destroy entire apartment buildings in pursuit of individual targets.

Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in France, Trump said: “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed. And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody. Because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you.”

The remarks were seen as an unusually blunt criticism from a US president who has otherwise presented himself as one of Israel’s strongest allies. They also appear to acknowledge what human rights groups and international law experts have long argued: that Israel’s practice of bombing residential buildings in the name of targeting fighters is a violation of international humanitarian law.

Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, intentionally directing attacks against civilians or civilian objects which are not military objectives constitutes a war crime. The laws of war also prohibit attacks expected to cause civilian harm that would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.

READ: Israeli analysts call Netanyahu ‘liar,’ ‘humiliated’ by Trump after US-Iran deal

Trump went further, saying he had urged Israel to allow Syria to deal with Hezbollah instead. “I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, because to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job of doing it,” he said. Trump’s comments is widely seen as a display of frustration with Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which he believes risk undermining his wider efforts to strike a deal with Iran.

The comments are a political blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has insisted that Israel’s military actions in Lebanon are necessary for security. Trump’s statement suggests that Washington is no longer willing to give Israel unlimited rhetorical cover for attacks that kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure.

Trump’s remarks also struck a blow to Israeli propaganda about Iran. Referring to Iranian officials, Trump said: “We are dealing with people that I think are very rational people, and they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people… But they’re not radicalised and they’re looking to help their country.”

For decades, Israeli leaders have portrayed Iran as an irrational and fanatical enemy that only understands force. Trump’s description of Iranian officials as “rational”, “strong” and “smart” undercuts that narrative at a critical moment, as his administration pushes ahead with a US-Iran understanding despite Israeli objections.

The remarks come amid growing signs of strain in US-Israel relations following the Iran deal. Analysts have described Israel and the US as being at a “fork in the road”, with Trump pressing Netanyahu not to derail a ceasefire framework while Israeli officials fear the agreement could restrict their freedom of action in Lebanon and beyond.

Trump’s comments also appear to reinforce Israel’s deepening fear of US abandonment. According to The National, Trump told reporters at the summit: “Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel.”

READ: US rejects Israeli request to review Iran agreement memorandum, Hebrew media report

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue Reading‘Without me there is no Israel’ says Trump warning Tel-Aviv to stop flattening homes

Israeli ministers call for bombing Beirut despite ceasefire

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (L) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in Jerusalem. [Photo by AMIR COHEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]

Two Israeli Cabinet ministers called Sunday for resuming airstrikes on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital of Beirut despite an ongoing ceasefire, Anadolu Agency reports.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel should “fire for every violation” by Hezbollah and for every drone launched by the Lebanese group.

“Dahiyeh must tremble,” he said on US social media company X, referring to Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also demanded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “take down buildings in Dahiyeh today.”

READ: Ben-Gvir calls for Israel to take Lebanese women and children hostage

“The fire toward the northern settlements is a test of the Dahiyeh equation that the Prime Minister announced,” Smotrich said on X.

The call by the hardline politicians came after the Israeli army reported a drone attack from Lebanon targeting military positions in northern Israel.

The Israeli army continued its daily airstrikes in Lebanon despite a fragile ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since April 17.

The Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,700 people, wounded nearly 11,500 and displaced over 1.5 million since March 2, according to Lebanese officials.

READ: Israel won’t withdraw from southern Lebanon under US-Iran understandings: Israeli media

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingIsraeli ministers call for bombing Beirut despite ceasefire