Key facts
- Former U.S. President Donald Trump advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against retaliating after Iran launched missiles at Israeli targets.
- Trump stated he calls the shots, not Netanyahu, and urged a return to negotiations.
- Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged Netanyahu to reject a Washington-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon.
- France's UN Envoy Jérôme Bonnafont criticized Israel's prolonged military operations in Lebanon.
- An IDF medical officer was killed and seven troops wounded in a Hezbollah drone attack in southern Lebanon.
- Israel struck the town of Al-Sultaniyah and a car in Toul, near Nabatieh.
- Former US President Donald Trump reportedly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a Lebanon bombing, calling the action 'fucking crazy.'
- Israel's defense exports reached a record $19.2 billion in 2025.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the U.S. supports Israel's intention to strike Beirut's Dahiyeh district if Hezbollah attacks persist.
- Hezbollah rejected a U.S.-brokered pact, while Israel stated operations would continue.
- Israel's military reported intercepting two Hezbollah rockets.
- Iran reaffirmed support for Hezbollah, demanding Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon.
The conflict in Lebanon intensifies as Israel continues its military operations, facing criticism from France and warnings from former U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against retaliating after Iran's missile launches, asserting his own influence and urging a return to negotiations. He also reportedly criticized a Lebanon bombing as "fucking crazy" and warned that a strike on Beirut would jeopardize U.S.-Iran negotiations. France's UN Envoy Jérôme Bonnafont called Israel's prolonged operations in Lebanon unjustifiable and a strategic error, with reports of attacks on rescue workers and medical facilities. Former President Trump also claimed to have intervened to prevent Israeli troops from entering Beirut.
Hezbollah has rejected a U.S.-mediated ceasefire plan, with its leader calling it a "roadmap for annihilation" and vowing continued resistance as long as Israeli occupation persists. Iran has reaffirmed its support for Hezbollah, demanding Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as a condition for any peace deal with Washington, and linking a Lebanon ceasefire to a broader peace agreement with the United States that could impact shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite a U.S.-mediated de-escalation agreement, Israel continues strikes in southern Lebanon, aiming to establish a buffer zone. The Israeli military reported intercepting two Hezbollah rockets and striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut's Dahiyeh district in response to projectiles fired from Lebanon, marking the first strike on the militant group's stronghold since an April 16 ceasefire. An Israeli strike on a military vehicle in south Lebanon killed three Lebanese military personnel, including two officers, after the Israeli military identified a threat and indications of Hezbollah preparing to fire. Lebanese media reported an Israeli strike on a car in Toul, near Nabatieh, and Israeli jets were reported flying over southern Lebanon, with drones reportedly heading towards Beirut.
Amidst the ongoing conflict, Israel's defense exports reached a record $19.2 billion in 2025, driven by missile and air defense systems, with Europe and Asia-Pacific as the largest markets. The U.S. Pentagon has expressed significant alarm over alleged Israeli espionage activities targeting U.S. officials and interests. Separately, Israeli strikes in Gaza City killed at least 11 Palestinians, and ceasefire talks for Gaza have stalled. The U.S. State Department held a fourth round of border security talks with Israeli and Lebanese representatives. In other developments, Israel opened its embassy in Fiji, and the U.S. reaffirmed Somalia's sovereignty, rejecting Somaliland's breakaway status, a decision seen as a blow to Israel's recent recognition of Somaliland. Israelis are complaining that the U.S. military presence at Ben Gurion Airport is causing congestion, turning it into a de facto U.S. base. The EU is set to propose sanctions against Israeli politicians accused of violating the rights of foreign activists. Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the Palestinian Authority needs to be dismantled and the Oslo Accords erased, asserting Israel must control all territory and "killing the idea of a Palestinian state."