Report: Trump, Israeli army tell Netanyahu to seek diplomacy in Lebanon, region

U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night and urged him to shift gradually from offensive operations and escalation threats in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria to diplomacy and confidence-building measures, senior officials told Israel's Ynet news portal.

"The shift, Trump argued, is necessary to advance the civilian stage of his '20-Point Plan' for Gaza and to work toward a stable, long-term end to hostilities, with the possibility of additional normalization agreements," the officials said.

Netanyahu is expected to discuss these issues with Trump during a visit to Washington on December 28 or soon afterward.

A senior security official said Netanyahu received similar counsel from top Israeli army commanders eager to begin rebuilding the military after extended combat.

"Within the General Staff, there is broad support for aligning with Washington’s approach on Gaza and with recommendations from the U.S.-run Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat. In Lebanon, Syria and possibly Iran, many believe Israel can now secure most of its war aims through diplomatic arrangements that codify battlefield gains," Ynet reported.

Noting that Israel has already notified Lebanon that if Hezbollah's disarmament does not occur, the Israeli army will escalate, Ynet added that Trump appears "determined to avoid such a scenario, much as he seeks progress on his Gaza plan."

"Trump’s envoy, Morgan Ortagus, visited both Jerusalem and Beirut this week, underscoring Washington’s shift toward active mediation meant to prevent escalation and assist Lebanon’s reconstruction," Ynet said.

It added: "Trump appears to be establishing new rules for the postwar period. First, primary efforts in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria should move to diplomacy. Israel may continue enforcing ceasefire understandings and applying selective pressure against Hamas and Hezbollah, but mainly through precise, limited airstrikes, not ground maneuvers."

"Under this framework, dismantling terrorist arsenals would be pursued through diplomatic pressure and mediated agreements rather than deep IDF incursions into areas under Hamas or Hezbollah control," Ynet said.

It added that Trump appears to be relying on the domestic pressure in Lebanon to push Lebanon toward a durable ceasefire and, eventually, possible normalization modeled on the Abraham Accords.