President Donald Trump is working to organize a May 11 summit at the White House bringing together Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, according to reports from Lebanese media outlet Al-Mayadeen citing diplomatic sources.
The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon released a statement backing the potential summit, stating: “A direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu, facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory—guaranteed by the United States.”
President Aoun has shown mixed signals about participating in direct talks with Netanyahu, sometimes rejecting the idea while at other moments suggesting such discussions might occur later in diplomatic negotiations rather than as an opening move.
In Beirut on Saturday, Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Haikal held discussions with U.S. General Joseph Clearfield, who oversees the ceasefire monitoring operations, at a Lebanese Air Force installation. Their conversation centered on Lebanon’s security conditions, regional developments, and methods to “maximize the effectiveness of the existing mechanism and improve its operations,” with emphasis on expanding the Lebanese military’s responsibilities.
At the same time, Israeli Defense Forces announced they conducted extensive military operations targeting Hezbollah positions throughout southern Lebanon on Saturday, reporting the destruction of approximately 70 buildings utilized by the organization and around 50 additional infrastructure locations. Military officials said the targeted sites included operational headquarters, weapons storage compounds, and other facilities linked to Hezbollah.
Israeli forces also reported that Hezbollah launched multiple rockets at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon, though the projectiles struck uninhabited areas.
Brigadier General Avichay Adraee, who serves as the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, broadcast evacuation notices for residents in southern Lebanese communities, urging civilians to evacuate the area.
In a separate incident, security alerts were activated at Kibbutz Yiftah in the Upper Galilee region following a drone infiltration, with Israeli military officials stating they are continuing to investigate the circumstances.
