An Israeli source told i24NEWS that claims Washington asked Israel to limit its response to the incident in which two IDF soldiers were killed in Lebanon are false. The denial comes after a U.S. official confirmed to i24NEWS that Washington had asked Israel to avoid escalation, saying 'you can't bomb your way to a solution.'
Israel is pushing back against reports that the United States asked it to avoid escalation in southern Lebanon. An Israeli source told i24NEWS on Thursday evening that the claim is 'false,' rejecting the narrative that Washington was restraining Israeli military operations.
The denial comes after a U.S. official confirmed to i24NEWS earlier Thursday that Washington had indeed asked Israel to limit its response to the incident in which two IDF soldiers were killed in Lebanon. The official was quoted saying 'you can't bomb your way to a solution.' That report was published at 20:51 Jerusalem time, as The Zioneer reported.
The exchange is the latest in a series of diplomatic frictions between Jerusalem and Washington over the northern front. Earlier Thursday, the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan reported that U.S. intervention had prevented escalation and saved the Rome talks. The Israeli denial suggests that Jerusalem is contesting the public framing of its relationship with the U.S. regarding military operations in Lebanon.
2 developments
- DevelopingIsraeli officials dismiss reports of IDF withdrawal from points in Lebanon
- DevelopingIsrael reportedly asked by Trump administration to scale back Lebanon operations
- DevelopingUS reportedly urges Israel to fully refrain from Lebanon operations to preserve emerging deal
- StrongIran's Khamenei warns US: 'Don't be complacent' as Israel strikes southern Lebanon
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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