Benjamin Netanyahu
Chatham House/flickr

US President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social on 17 April that Israel was 'PROHIBITED' from bombing Lebanon, a public directive that contradicted the self-defence clause of the ceasefire agreement his own administration had signed the previous day.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu learned of the post through media reporting rather than direct diplomatic communication, according to Axios. Israeli officials, including Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, contacted American counterparts to seek clarification on whether the post represented an official change in US policy.

How Trump's Truth Social Post Contradicted Official Ceasefire Terms

The friction began after the formal announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on 16 April. The State Department published an official document detailing the parameters of the truce, which the United States had orchestrated.

Under the framework, Israel formally committed to halting offensive military operations against Lebanese state, military, and civilian targets. However, the signed text explicitly preserved Israel's operational freedom to respond to hostile threats. The agreement guaranteed the right to take military action 'in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.' This self-defence clause is particularly politically sensitive for Netanyahu, who has made clear his government does not consider itself restricted from targeting Hezbollah if deemed necessary.

Despite these parameters, Trump used his Truth Social platform to issue different terms on 17 April. The president proclaimed: 'Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!'

Israeli Officials Scramble for Urgent White House Clarification

Netanyahu and his team learned of the directive through media reporting, leaving them unprepared, according to Axios. Sources familiar with the situation told the outlet that Netanyahu was personally shocked and concerned upon learning of the president's remarks, and that such an assertion of authority over Israeli military operations would have been unimaginable under previous US administrations.

Ambassador Leiter and other staff members contacted the White House to investigate whether the US had altered its strategic stance, emphasising that Trump's statement was at odds with the terms of the signed ceasefire agreement. Trump reiterated his position during a subsequent interview with Axios. 'Israel has to stop. They can't continue to blow buildings up. I am not gonna allow it,' he stated.

State Department Reaffirms Israel's Right to Self-Defence Operations

Following the inquiries, US officials addressed the discrepancy between the social media post and the signed agreement. 'The President's ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel clearly states that Israel will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets but preserves its right to self-defense against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks,' an administration representative clarified.

Hezbollah Tensions Spark New Drone Strikes in Southern Lebanon

Despite the diplomatic confusion in Washington, hostilities on the ground quickly tested the boundaries of the new truce. Shortly before Trump reiterated his demands, an Israeli drone carried out a targeted strike in southern Lebanon.

An Israeli military source subsequently announced that Hezbollah militants had violated the ceasefire conditions. 'Our forces acted in self-defense to remove the threat in accordance with the ceasefire agreement reached with the United States and Lebanon,' the source told an American publication. The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, brokered by the United States on 16 April, remains formally in effect. No further Israeli strikes in Lebanon have been publicly confirmed since the drone strike.

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