Trump predicted Israel–Lebanon leaders would speak ‘tomorrow’ — Beirut swiftly shut it down

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President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon could speak for the first time in decades, but Lebanese officials swiftly rejected the prospect, dealing a setback to U.S. efforts to broker direct contact between the two countries as fighting continues across southern Lebanon.

"We are trying to create a little breathing room," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the leaders had not spoken in some 34 years and saying, "It will happen tomorrow."

However, a senior Lebanese official told Fox News Digital that no call between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely before a ceasefire is reached. Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun has no plans to speak with Netanyahu in the near future, according to Fox News's report.

Coverage comparison

Fox News Digital reported that Lebanese officials pushed back against Trump's prediction, with a senior official saying the lack of a ceasefire or any tangible concession has made public opinion increasingly important. Two of the three officials who spoke to Reuters said Lebanon's embassy in Washington conveyed Aoun's position to the Trump administration before Aoun held a phone call Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Fox News reported.

A separate Fox News report focused on French President Emmanuel Macron, saying he faces criticism for his lack of support for Trump's war against Iran and for demanding Israel stop attacking Hezbollah's "terror infrastructure" in Lebanon. That report also mentioned "historic talks" between Israel and Lebanon set to begin, though it did not provide details on the nature or timing of those talks.

Key claims

• No immediate call: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will not speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for now, according to a Lebanese official cited by Fox News Digital and three officials who told Reuters.
• Trump's prediction: President Trump said the two leaders could speak for the first time in decades, writing on Truth Social that "it will happen tomorrow."
• Ceasefire precondition: Lebanon wants a ceasefire before any direct negotiations with Israel, according to Lebanese officials cited by Fox News.
• Hezbollah opposition: Hezbollah has opposed any contact with Israel. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem called on the Lebanese government to cancel a planned meeting in Washington, describing the talks as pointless, according to Fox News.
• Conflict toll: Over 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 and more than 1.2 million have been displaced, as reported by Fox News, citing figures not independently verified in this analysis.
• Macron criticism: France's President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for his lack of support for U.S. actions against Iran, a claim carried by a single Fox News report and not corroborated by other sources in this analysis.