Netanyahu Orders Cabinet To Engage With Lebanon As Trump Asks Israel To Ease Strikes

In a high-stakes diplomatic push, US President Donald Trump has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce military strikes on Lebnon via telephone on Thursday, according to a senior administration official cited in NBC News reports. During the conversation, Trump reportedly urged a reduction in Israeli military operations within Lebanon to improve the prospects of ongoing negotiations. 

LATEST: Israeli PM Netanyahu says Israel is seeking "to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible."

President Trump asked Netanyahu in a phone call yesterday to scale back the strikes to help ensure the success of the Iran negotiations, a senior administration…

— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 9, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his cabinate to initiate negotions "as soon as possible". This shift in his tone aligns with statements from Labanese oifficials, who confirmed they are also pursuing a deplomatic path to resolve the conflict, according to the The Guardian reports.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

"In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed at the Government meeting yesterday to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.

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— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 9, 2026

Prior to call, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has strongly condemned the Israeli attack over Lebnon, and warned that continued aggression could force Iran to launch a severe retaliatory response. 

Renewed aggression by the Zionist regime against Lebanon blatantly violates the initial ceasefire. Such actions signal deception and non-compliance, rendering negotiations meaningless. Our hands remain on the trigger. Iran will never forsake its Lebanese brothers and sisters. https://t.co/T3Wy3qBqcE

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 9, 2026

ALSO READ: Netanyahu Orders Cabinet To Engage With Lebanon As Trump Asks Israel To Ease Strikes

Escalation And Iranian Warnings

The diplomatic friction follows a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Wednesday that reportedly killed over 250 people and injured more than 1,000. On Thursday, Israel launched additional attacks, prompting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to condemn the violence and warn of a severe military response from Iran.

ALSO READ: Iran-US-Israel War LIVE: 'Won't Allow More Than 15 Vessels Per Day,' Tehran On Hormuz Transit; Netanyahu Orders To Begin Direct Talks With Lebanon

Despite the pressure from Washington, Prime Minister Netanyahu signaled no intention of stopping the campaign. In a statement on X, he affirmed that the Israeli military would continue to target Hezbollah with "force, precision, and determination."

Lebanon Seeks UN Intervention

The surge in violence has prompted a formal response from Beirut. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced on Thursday that the country will file an official complaint with the United Nations. Salam labeled the recent attacks "blatant violations" of international law and a direct threat to peace efforts.

To bolster domestic stability, the Lebanese cabinet has also moved to:

- Strengthen state authority throughout the capital, Beirut.

- Consolidate arms control, ensuring weapons remain strictly in the hands of legitimate state security forces.

- The conflict remains at a critical juncture, as the differing interpretations of the ceasefire agreement between the US, Israel and Iran threaten to collapse the fragile diplomatic progress made thus far.