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Contradicting Netanyahu, Lebanese PM says US ‘guaranteed’ Israel limiting Beirut strikes

Despite denials by senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, Lebanese premier appears to confirm reports that Netanyahu agreed to Biden’s demand to dramatically curtail airstrikes in Beirut.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Lebanon’s prime minister appeared to contradict claims by senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that Israel did not commit to the Biden administration to drastically limit the number of airstrikes in Beirut.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Najib Mikati told Al Jazeera that his government has “received American guarantees” that Israel will limit its air campaign in the Lebanese capital city, following a series of high-profile strikes in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood, which houses Hezbollah’s headquarters.

Earlier this week, multiple Israeli media outlets reported that Netanyahu had agreed to President Joe Biden’s demand that the IDF strictly limit its attacks in Beirut, noting that following a flurry of activity in the Lebanese capital, no strikes have been conducted there since last Thursday.

A day earlier, Netanyahu spoke with Biden, marking the first conversation between the two in six weeks.

According to a report Monday night by Kan 11, the IDF received written instructions Friday morning not to carry out further strikes inside Beirut.

The report claimed that members of the security cabinet were fuming over the decision, saying they had not been consulted or even notified of the decision, and demanded it be revoked.

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Netanyahu on Monday rejected the claims, saying the IDF will “continue to strike Hezbollah without mercy everywhere in Lebanon, including Beirut.”

One senior Israeli official quoted by The Times of Israel also denied the claim Israel was limiting its operations in Beirut.

“Israel attacks everywhere in Lebanon, including Beirut. We proved this recently, and we will prove it again in the coming days, in accordance with operational considerations.”