Key facts
- Israel is negotiating with the U.S. to continue its troop deployment in southern Lebanon.
- One Israeli soldier was killed and seven were injured in clashes in southern Lebanon.
- A drone strike in south Lebanon killed one person.
- President Donald Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tactics.
- Trump reportedly spoke with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa about Hezbollah.
- The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war.
Israel is engaged in negotiations with the United States to extend its troop presence in southern Lebanon, a move that comes amid sharp criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct of the conflict with Hezbollah.
Trump has publicly stated that Netanyahu's campaign in Lebanon has been asymmetric and suggested that Israel should "behave better." He has also reportedly told advisors that Netanyahu "wants to bomb everyone" and "gets carried away." Trump has further suggested that Syria might be better equipped to handle Hezbollah and confirmed speaking with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the matter.
These diplomatic and political developments occur as fighting continues. Israel announced on Thursday that one soldier was killed and seven were injured in clashes in southern Lebanon the previous day. Separately, a Lebanese state media report indicated an Israeli drone strike killed one person and seriously wounded another in the Kfar Tebnit region.
The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday aimed at ending the war, with fighting reportedly halted on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, Iran has warned that Israel's continued presence in Lebanon would nullify this agreement. Israel has maintained its operations in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets on March 2 in support of Iran, viewing the occupied territories as crucial buffer zones.