US President Donald Trump has said that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with the Lebanon-based militant group through mediators.

 

Trump announced the development in a social media post following his call with Netanyahu. Following the call with Netanyahu, Trump said, there will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way, have already been turned back. The president said that Hezbollah had agreed that all shooting will stop – that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel. 

 

His comments emerged hours after Israel’s government ordered strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut a day after its ground forces reached their deepest point in Lebanon in 26 years and as Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel, including the outskirts of the coastal city of Haifa. 

 

A joint statement by Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the orders to attack targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs followed what they called repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah and attacks against Israel cities and citizens.