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The United States has issued a stern warning to Israel to adhere to Lebanon-related conditions. Mike Hanna, a journalist for Al Jazeera from Washington, reported that US Vice President JD Vance delivered an “extremely harsh” message to Israel on this matter.
Hanna added that President Donald Trump also held heated discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding this. Trump was particularly concerned that Israel’s military activities in Lebanon could obstruct the implementation of the memorandum of understanding.
He further reported that the Trump administration has faced criticism from influential pro-Israel circles in the United States over its decision to include Lebanon in the memorandum of understanding.
According to Mike Hanna, Trump had previously indicated that Lebanon was a separate issue. However, the current memorandum of understanding clearly shows Lebanon as an integral part of the agreement. Consequently, Israel must strictly adhere to the condition of refraining from any military or other operations in Lebanon.
This stance has generated questions and dissatisfaction among many pro-Israel members of the US Congress. Nevertheless, despite the criticism, the Trump administration has shown no indication of wavering from its position.
Meanwhile, the final agreement is still approximately two months away from taking effect. Related sources claim that Netanyahu does not want the agreement to be formalized in its current structure. Therefore, he is adopting new strategies to persuade the US to withdraw from the understanding or to alter its terms.
According to an Israeli official quoted by CNN, Netanyahu’s primary goal is to align the content of the final agreement with his political and strategic interests. To achieve this, he is attempting to exert pressure on the Trump administration through close right-wing media figures and several US senators.