Israel sets deadline for Lebanon deal, prepares for full-scale war

“We cannot wait forever,” a senior Israeli official said.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel has told mediators that the current Lebanon ceasefire extension is the final window for a diplomatic deal, as the Trump administration presses Israel to avoid a return to full-scale war with Hezbollah.

Israeli officials say that the ceasefire, which has been extended until mid-May, must produce a political agreement that pushes Hezbollah away from the border and restores Lebanese government control in the south.

“We cannot wait forever,” a senior Israeli official told Kan News. “We are giving two more weeks for negotiations, and that’s it.”

If no breakthrough is reached, Israel is preparing to resume high-intensity operations against Hezbollah, the report said. Israeli officials have described the current period as the last opportunity to reach a deal before the military campaign expands again.

The warning comes as Washington is trying to hold together the ceasefire and turn it into a broader diplomatic process.

President Donald Trump announced last week that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend the truce by three weeks after talks at the White House.

“The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump wrote after meeting Israeli and Lebanese envoys.

Trump also said there was “a great chance” Israel and Lebanon could reach a peace agreement this year. But US officials have continued to press Israel to maintain the truce, while Israeli officials argue that time is running out for Lebanon to act against Hezbollah.

Israel’s central demand is that Hezbollah be pushed north of the Litani River and that Lebanon disarm the Iran-backed group.

The ceasefire has reduced the extent of the fighting but has not ended violence in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has defended negotiations with Israel despite criticism from Hezbollah and its allies.

“Negotiations are not treason,” Aoun said. “The real treason is that of those who drag the country into war in order to fulfill foreign interests.”