President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were expected to speak Saturday as a deal to end the war with Iran was reportedly being finalized.
The president is also slated to meet with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan, Axios’ Barak Ravid reported, citing a senior Israeli official.
A memorandum of understand to end the conflict was “being fine-tuned” late Saturday, a Pakistani military official told Reuters.
Trump and Netanyahu have clashed over whether to take a deal or resume fighting, with the two holding a heated call Tuesday, Axios reported.
Earlier, Trump said he was “50/50” on whether to accept a deal or resume the war, saying if the deal wasn’t good he would bomb Iran “to kingdom come,” he told Axios.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Forces targeted Hezbollah weapons production sites and infrastructure in Southern Lebanon over the weekend, the IDF announced on X.
“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to reduce harm to civilians, including advance warnings to the population, use of precision munitions, and aerial observations,” the IDF said.
Israel issued evacuation orders for Lebanese villages on both sides of the Litani River on Saturday, as strikes on Hezbollah sites continued.
Five people were killed and several Syrian workers were wounded by Israeli strikes, Lebanese state media reported.
Meanwhile, two suspicious aircraft penetrated Israel’s north, and five Israeli citizens were arrested after crossing the border into Lebanon, the IDF reported.
“An IDF force operating at the point returned all the citizens to Israeli territory and detained them until the arrival of the Israel Police. The IDF strongly condemns their crossing and emphasizes that this is a serious incident constituting a criminal offense that endangers IDF forces and the citizens,” the IDF posted on X.
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was extended another 45 days after the third round of direct talks between high-ranking political and military officials from both countries took place in Washington, DC May 15.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said it was his duty to engage in talks with Israel and try to stop the war that has been raging in his country on and off for nearly three years after Hezbollah joined in on Hamas’ barbaric Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks.
“It is my duty, and stemming from my position and responsibility, to do the impossible and whatever costs the least to stop the war against Lebanon and its people,” he said.
The Israelis have been frozen out of US diplomatic talks with Iran’s regime, the New York Times reported — with Israeli officials telling the paper they are learning about developments from regional contacts and their own surveillance rather than from Washington.
Hezbollah claimed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi assured them that Iran would not drop their support for the terrorist group and that they are continuing to press for any US-Iran deal to include a ceasefire in Lebanon, the Times of Israel reported.
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