Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on April 25, 2026, that Hezbollah is actively undermining efforts to reach a historic peace agreement with Lebanon, even as Israel continues military operations in southern Lebanon despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire extension.
Netanyahu made the remarks in his first public statement after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on April 24, 2026, a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, following talks at the White House involving U.S. officials including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon.
Trump said the extension came after renewed discussions aimed at achieving a peace deal within the year and emphasized that the United States would work with Lebanon to help it defend itself against Hezbollah.
Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of trying to sabotage Israel’s peace efforts, stating, “We have begun a path toward a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon, and it is clear to us that Hezbollah is attempting to undermine that.” He added that Israel retains full freedom of action against any threat and confirmed that strikes had been carried out the previous day and that morning.
Israeli military forces launched three airstrikes on the town of Deir Amas in the Tyre district on April 25, 2026, after issuing evacuation warnings to residents. The strikes occurred despite the ongoing ceasefire, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
In addition to the airstrikes, Israeli forces conducted a major explosion in Naqoura, carried out artillery fire targeting the outskirts of Mansouri and Beit Seyyad in Tyre, and continued demolition operations in Al-Bayyad, as reported by Lebanese officials.
The current escalation follows a broader conflict that began on March 2, 2026, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28, 2026.
Israel and Lebanon, which have been in a formal state of war since 1948, held their first high-level talks in Washington on April 14, 2026 — the first such meeting since 1993 — in an effort to end hostilities. Two days later, the United States announced a 10-day humanitarian truce that had already resulted in over 2,400 deaths in Lebanon and displaced more than one million people.
Lebanese politician Fouad Al-Mezzoumi welcomed diplomatic engagement, saying on April 24, 2026, that he felt honored to meet Prince Yazid bin Farhan of Saudi Arabia alongside Ambassador Dr. Walid Al-Bukhari, describing the meeting as productive and expressing deep gratitude to Saudi Arabia and the United States for their role in supporting Lebanon’s stability and de-escalation efforts.
Why is Israel continuing military operations despite the ceasefire?
Israel says it retains the right to act against threats and claims its strikes in southern Lebanon are responses to ongoing Hezbollah activity, even as it publicly supports the ceasefire extension.
What is the United States’ role in the current negotiations?
The U.S. brokered the ceasefire extension, hosted talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials, and pledged to assist Lebanon in defending itself against Hezbollah while pursuing a peace agreement within 2026.
