Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday evening that Israel will begin direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” even as US President Donald Trump pressed him to scale back military operations. According to NBC News, Trump urged Netanyahu in a phone call to reduce strikes on Lebanon to prevent the fragile ceasefire with Iran from collapsing. The talks are expected to begin next week under full American auspices, with a focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations.

Despite the pressure, Israel continued its largest bombing campaign in Lebanon since the start of the Iran war, alongside additional strikes on Thursday at slightly reduced intensity. The IDF said it targeted weapon depots, rocket launchers, and Hezbollah headquarters in southern Lebanon. Earlier, Netanyahu stated that Israel “will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever necessary,” underscoring the gap between diplomatic efforts and battlefield operations.

US Vice President JD Vance said Israel had agreed to “check itself” in Lebanon to support negotiations with Tehran. However, a core dispute remains unresolved: whether the US-Iran ceasefire applies to the Hezbollah front. Israel and Washington have rejected that interpretation, maintaining that operations against Hezbollah are not restricted by the truce.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the campaign delivered a decisive blow. “Operation Eternal Darkness was a very powerful blow to Hezbollah, leaving it stunned and confused by the depth of the penetration and the scale of the strike. More than 200 terrorists were eliminated yesterday, bringing the number of those eliminated in this campaign to over 1,400, more than double the number in the Second Lebanon War,” Katz said. He added that Hezbollah is “pleading for a ceasefire,” while outlining plans for a new Israeli security zone extending to the Litani River.

International pressure mounted throughout the day. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that “the severity with which Israel is waging war there could cause the peace process as a whole to fail.” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “We hope that the ceasefire will be fully implemented on the ground, including in Lebanon,” while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the agreement has a “regional dimension.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Israeli actions are putting the ceasefire under “severe strain.” Additional statements from France, Britain, Italy, Spain, and China echoed calls to include Lebanon in the truce.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah resumed rocket fire toward northern Israel, with the IDF reporting approximately 3,000 projectiles launched from south of the Litani River since March 2, highlighting the ongoing escalation even as diplomatic efforts move forward.