Trump's message to Netanyahu fuels Israeli debate over Lebanon escalation

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to contain growing anger inside Israel over the possibility of a U.S.-Iran agreement by announcing that U.S. President Donald Trump had reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Ahead of a planned meeting of Israel's political-security cabinet Sunday evening, Netanyahu issued a statement saying Trump had stressed during a phone call that Israel retains the right to self-defense across all arenas. Netanyahu later reportedly briefed a limited number of ministers and security chiefs on the details of the conversation.

The developments come as Israel attempts to preserve what it sees as freedom of aerial operations over Lebanon, amid growing debate within Israeli political and security circles over the future of the confrontation with Hezbollah and Iran.

Israeli officials increasingly describe the situation as a major dilemma: either comply with U.S. pressure urging restraint toward Iran and Lebanon, continue fighting what many view as an ongoing war of attrition, or escalate toward a broader military campaign aimed at eliminating the threat entirely.

As the debate intensifies, the Israeli army has reportedly reduced the spread of some of its forces in South Lebanon, while reinforcing positions in areas considered less vulnerable to Hezbollah’s explosive drones.

At the same time, Israeli officials have raised doubts about whether Israel can continue operating freely inside Lebanon without retaliation from Hezbollah, as had largely been the case in 2024. Some Israeli security and political figures have described that reality itself as a significant failure.