Netanyahu Denies Rumours Trump Limited Israeli Strikes in Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reports claiming US President Donald Trump limited Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, which have long been said to target the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Speaking during a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday local time, Netanyahu, as reported by Anadolu Agency on Monday, asserted that the reports were merely ‘fairy tales’ and ‘fake news’. ‘I heard reports in the media suggesting that President Trump asked that no action be taken against terror tunnels in Lebanon. That is just a fairy tale, fake news,’ Netanyahu said. ‘He did not say anything to me about it, and I did not ask him. We act based on our own considerations,’ the Israeli PM stressed. Netanyahu’s assertion refutes a report by Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, late last month. The KAN report stated that Israel had provided detailed intelligence data to US officials regarding alleged Hezbollah tunnels in the Ali al-Taher Heights area of southern Lebanon, in an effort to secure Washington’s approval for military operations in the region. The report indicated that Israel was seeking a ‘green light’ from the US to continue its military activities in Lebanese territory. This contradicts Netanyahu’s insistence that Tel Aviv’s military decisions are made independently. According to data from Beirut authorities, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have killed at least 4,303 people and wounded 12,202 others since March, forcing more than one million people to flee. On 26 June, Israel and Lebanon signed a US-mediated framework agreement aimed at ending Israel’s occupation of Lebanese territory.