Trump signals Israel-Lebanon contact as war grinds on

US President Donald Trump has suggested a possible breakthrough in Israel-Lebanon relations, even as fighting continues on the ground and official confirmation remains unclear.

The announcement, made on Trump’s Truth Social account on Wednesday, came a day after Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors held their first direct diplomatic talks in more than three decades in Washington, DC. Lebanon has been seeking an end to Israel’s ongoing attacks.

“Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon,” Trump wrote. “It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice!”

Trump did not specify which leaders would be involved, and neither Israel nor Lebanon immediately confirmed the claim.

Some signals, however, point to possible contact. Gila Gamliel, a member of Israel’s security cabinet, told Israel’s Army Radio on Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be speaking with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Lebanese officials, by contrast, said they had “no information” about any such talks.

The uncertainty reflects the broader complexity of the situation. Lebanon was drawn into the US-Israel war on Iran on March 2, after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel. The group said the attacks were in response to Israel’s killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, as well as repeated violations of a ceasefire agreed in November 2024.

Since then, the conflict has escalated sharply. Israeli operations in Lebanon have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced around 1.2 million, while a ground offensive in the south aims to establish what Israel describes as a “buffer zone”.

At the same time, Israeli leadership has framed its strategy as a combination of military pressure and diplomacy. Netanyahu said earlier on Wednesday that he had ordered an expansion of operations in southern Lebanon, while also pursuing talks with Beirut aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching what he called a “sustainable peace”.

She said the US has been pushing to separate the Lebanon front from the wider conflict involving Iran, with recent talks in Washington reflecting that effort to contain escalation and reduce Hezbollah’s influence.

On the ground, however, the situation continues to deteriorate. Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed four Lebanese paramedics in the village of Mayfadoun and wounded six others. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, at least 91 medical workers have been killed since March 2, with multiple health facilities also hit.

Strikes have also intensified around key civilian infrastructure. Attacks near one of the last functioning hospitals in southern Lebanon, in Tebnine, have continued for two consecutive days, alongside broader damage to homes, bridges and public services.

Fighting is ongoing around the town of Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces say they have encircled the area, while Hezbollah claims its fighters remain engaged inside.