Netanyahu Increases Lebanon Incursion Hoping to Gift Trump a January 20 Ceasefire

Photo Credit: IDF

IDF tanks and infantry moving through Hezbollah villages in south Lebanon.

According to the Washington Post, an aide close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Donald Trump and his son-in-law and envoy to the Middle East Jared Kushner last week that Israel is working swiftly to finalize a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. According to three current and former Israeli officials familiar with the meeting, the move was intended to provide the president-elect with an early foreign policy achievement.

In a video statement on Sunday, Netanyahu revealed that he had spoken with Trump three times in recent days, emphasizing that the two leaders saw “major opportunities ahead for Israel, especially in advancing peace.” The remark is particularly notable following over a year of devastating conflict in Gaza and six weeks after Israel escalated its military campaign against Hezbollah by deploying ground forces into southern Lebanon.

Below is an IDF video of commando formation forces fighting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon:

The IDF continues to implement its military plans in northern Israel, with a transition to a new phase of fighting in southern Lebanon. After the conclusion of the army operation in the first line of villages––which turned out to be packed with thousands of weapons, ammunition, rockets, and explosives––the necessary approvals have been issued this week from the political echelon to deepen ground operations and attack additional targets deep inside Lebanon.

In recent days, the military operation has focused, among other things, on Tyre, Sidon, and nearby areas, while continuing to crush Hezbollah targets. Security sources stress that there is no direct connection between the continued fighting and the efforts to reach a settlement, with Israel making it unequivocally clear that negotiations with Hezbollah if they take place, will be conducted under fire and will not require a halt in military activity.

Following warnings from the IDF spokesman in Arabic early Sunday morning for residents of several residential buildings in the Dahieh neighborhood of south Beirut to evacuate, Lebanon is reporting that IDF attacks have begun on this stronghold of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the capital.

In the past week, the IDF attacked approximately 50 terrorist targets in Dahieh, where Hezbollah terrorists continue to plan and execute attacks against the State of Israel.

Trump has expressed a desire to end conflicts in the Middle East, yet during a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu last month, he urged Israel to “do what you have to do” against Hezbollah and Hamas. The potential impact of the Lebanon cease-fire proposal discussed at Mar-a-Lago on the stalled cease-fire and hostage-release negotiations in Gaza remains uncertain.

The IDF believes that the current progress is essential to achieving the war’s goals, including preventing Hezbollah from rearming in the coming years. Security officials also stressed that the terms of a settlement with Hezbollah must allow residents of the north to return to their homes without fear while ensuring long-term security stability.

These decisions were made after quite a few disagreements within the defense establishment. One of the main reasons for the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was his opposition to the continuation of the war and his delay in making decisions, which caused tension between the military and political echelons. After his dismissal, the IDF received permission to continue its operations, and in recent days there has been a noticeable increase in the intensity of attacks.

According to Israeli officials, the terms of the proposed deal would require Hezbollah fighters to withdraw north of the Litani River, which marks the northern boundary of a UN-monitored buffer zone established after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Since October 8, 2023, Hezbollah terrorists have used this zone as a base to launch thousands of rockets and missiles into Israel, resulting in the deaths of 45 civilians and 31 soldiers and displacing at least 60,000 Israelis from their homes up north.