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‘We have to get the hostages back,’ Israeli president tells Biden
Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with President Biden at the White House.
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Amid escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to lift all restrictions and delays on the supply of military equipment and ammunition to Israel immediately after his inauguration, Israeli Channel 12 News reports.
The assurance from Trump’s team came as Israel is considering a 60-day cease-fire with Hezbollah, which would provide a window until Trump takes office and implements the promised changes.
Sources indicate that this commitment from Trump’s administration clarifies Israel’s willingness to temporarily halt military actions, with the understanding that support will resume without delay once Trump is in office.
Unnamed Israeli officials have confirmed the reports from Israeli media to Fox News Digital.
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The Israel Defense Forces says its “soldiers are continuing to conduct limited, localized, targeted raids in southern Lebanon, eliminating Hezbollah terrorists and dismantling terror infrastructure and weapons stockpiles both above and below ground.” (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
Currently, U.S. restrictions include an embargo on a certain weapons shipment and limitations on various combat-related equipment, even if they do not involve explosive ordnance. This embargo has impacted Israel’s defense capabilities, especially as the military now contends with active fronts in both Lebanon and Gaza, requiring strict control over ammunition and supply use.
This pledge to lift all military supply restrictions, starting from Trump’s first day in office, would allow Israel to replenish its stockpiles and alleviate current constraints. With the 60-day cease-fire, Israel aims to temporarily suspend hostilities until the new administration takes office, enabling a resumption of full military operations if necessary, without the existing limitations.
On Thursday, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon submitted a draft truce proposal to Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri to halt fighting between armed group Hezbollah and Israel, two political sources told Reuters, without revealing details.
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Former President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they pose for a photo within their meeting at Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on July 26, 2024. (Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO) / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is increasing military pressure in Lebanon, operating along the second line of villages to further diminish Hezbollah’s capabilities, alongside airstrikes in Syria and Beirut’s Dahiya district.
IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Daniel Hagari commented on the truce negotiations, stating, “The IDF’s role is to clear out terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon and ensure that Hezbollah cannot threaten Israeli citizens from there. This is our duty, and we must create the conditions that enable the political echelon to take diplomatic action.”
Channel 12’s chief political analyst, Amit Segal, who first reported the story, told Fox News Digital that “The Trump administration’s commitment grants Israel greater operational freedom—whether to pursue a cease-fire in Lebanon or, if needed, to take more decisive action with U.S. backing and no restrictions.”
An IDF tank rolls through the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
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Segal added that a cease-fire with Lebanon at this stage signals that Israel’s northern objectives have been met, effectively decoupling the northern and southern fronts. While there may be progress toward calm in the north, he clarified, this development does not extend to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment on the Ch. 12 report but did not get a response.
Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.