Israel Launches New Strikes on Lebanon Amid Trump Criticism
Military drones and fighter jets from Israeli forces struck several target locations in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, injuring civilians and damaging infrastructure in the towns of Mansouri, Aaziyyeh, Nabatieh al‑Fawqa and Kfar Tebnit, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
These new air attacks came as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the border, calling the prolonged fighting “too long and too many people are being killed.” Trump made the remarks during the G7 summit in France and warned that Israel must act with more responsibility over Lebanon.
Israel’s military has stated that it will maintain a presence in Lebanon “for as long as necessary.” The latest strikes include drone attacks that injured several people in Mansouri and Aaziyyeh, and jets that hit close‑quarters zones in Nabatieh al‑Fawqa and Kfar Tebnit. Additionally, the Israeli army reported five soldiers injured in a drone assault by Hezbollah, the Iran‑backed militia operating along the border.
The ongoing strife is part of a larger conflict triggered on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for an earlier strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Israel responded with a broad bombing campaign across Lebanon and an incursion into the southern region, resulting in thousands of casualties since the conflict began.
Amid the escalating fire, the United States and Iran have reached a memorandum of understanding aimed at easing tensions and opening the Strait of Hormuz and other Gulf shipping lanes, which also carries implications for Lebanon. Both sides are poised to formalise the deal in Switzerland, and Trump has suggested a public read‑through of the agreement, framing it as more favorable than past arrangements.
With the U.S.‑Iran deal still under negotiation, Lebanon sits squarely at the intersection of regional power plays, while Israel’s continued aggression brings the world’s attention back to the volatile dynamics that govern this part of the Middle East.
