Trump also cannot stop Netanyahu: Israel maintains attacks on Lebanon and bombs a hospital

BeirutDespite de-escalation promises from Washington, in southern Lebanon nothing seems to have changed this Tuesday. The inhabitants of Nabatiyeh have barely had time to process the ceasefire announcements when sirens, evacuation orders, and Israeli bombings have once again imposed themselves over any expectation of calm.

Several waves of Israeli airstrikes have hit the city throughout the day. Explosions were heard as far as the Zahrani region, while the air force also struck towns in the districts of Bint Jbeil and Tyre, where missiles hit a hospital, according to Doctors Without Borders. In the attack, at least four people were killed and 127 were injured, including 39 hospital staff members. Hours earlier, the Israeli army had ordered the complete evacuation of Nabatiyeh, accusing Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire and warning of new military operations.

The scene reflects the gap that continues to separate diplomacy from reality on the ground. Just twenty-four hours earlier, Donald Trump had claimed to have persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a planned attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The US president also stated that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to a mutual cessation of attacks. However, clashes continued through the night and Israeli bombings continued throughout Tuesday.

The weariness in the White House seems palpable. As revealed early this morning by the US media outlet Axios, Trump told Netanyahu that he is crazy for continuing attacks on Lebanon and accused him of being an "ungrateful" person, reminding him that he helped him avoid going to prison with White House support in his corruption trial. According to the Axios source, Trump told him: "You are a crazy son of a bitch. You'd be in jail if it weren't for me. I'm saving your ass. Everyone hates you. Everyone hates Israel for what you're doing." Another source claimed that Trump is "fed up" and at one point in the conversation asked the Israeli Prime Minister: "What the hell are you doing?"

Israel maintains that Hezbollah has launched missiles and drones against communities in the north of the country, an accusation it uses to justify the continuation of its military operations. The Shiite movement, for its part, continues to insist that it is responding to the presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory. As has been happening since the beginning of this phase of the conflict, both sides mutually accuse each other of violating a truce that, in practice, has never managed to consolidate.

Beirut, under the spotlight

Far from lowering the tone, Israeli officials have reiterated their threats against Beirut. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that any Hezbollah attack against northern Israel could trigger bombings against Dahieh, the Shiite movement's stronghold in the southern suburbs of the capital. Katz even asserted that this principle has Washington's support. Beyond the controversy over this alleged American endorsement, the message has been clear: the possibility of an escalation of attacks remains on the table.

Behind the diplomatic discussions lies a much more tangible reality. Nearly 3,500 people have died in Lebanon since the start of the Israeli offensive and more than 1.2 million have been displaced. In the south of the country, roads have become recurring evacuation routes and many families have had to abandon their homes several times in a few months, following the advance of fighting, bombings, and successive evacuation orders.

The persistence of the fighting is particularly significant because it coincides with a new round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington to try to establish the basis for a more lasting ceasefire after months of a constantly violated truce.

However, the Israeli offensive on Lebanon has become a central piece of a much broader negotiation involving the United States and Iran. Tehran has made it clear that it considers the Lebanese front inseparable from any regional agreement. For Iran, the future of Hezbollah is part of any regional agreement. Therefore, it insists that a ceasefire in Lebanon be a prerequisite for advancing negotiations with Washington.

From the Lebanese side, the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, the main interlocutor between Hezbollah and the Americans, has made this demand the axis of his talks. For him, any agreement hinges on a global ceasefire that puts an end to Israeli attacks "by land, sea and air" throughout Lebanese territory. His entourage assures that, if an agreement of this nature is reached, Hezbollah will respect its commitments.

For the Trump administration, the challenge is to prevent the escalation in Lebanon from derailing talks with Iran, which are considered essential for stabilizing the region. Hence Washington's efforts to contain an expansion of the Israeli campaign towards Beirut and keep the diplomatic channel open.

But on the ground, the logic remains different. Israel continues to strike targets in southern Lebanon while maintaining the threat over the capital as a pressure tool. Hezbollah, weakened, but far from defeated, continues to present itself as an indispensable actor in any negotiation. Between the two, the civilian population once again finds itself trapped between diplomatic announcements that generate expectations of calm and a war that refuses to disappear.