*Update*: Trump announces ceasefire — Beirut bombardment averted for now

The day began with a sharp warning from Jerusalem. Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Israel would «tolerate no situation in which our towns and citizens are attacked while there is calm in Beirut» – Le Monde reports on the threat to bombard the capital should Hezbollah attacks not cease. Shortly after, the Israeli government ordered the evacuation of seven towns in southern Lebanon and instructed the army to target Beirut's southern suburbs.

On the battlefield, Hezbollah meanwhile continued fighting with Israeli forces around Beaufort Fortress. The group stated in a communiqué that the Israeli army was attempting «with great effort» to consolidate its presence in the area around the castle – Le Figaro summarizes the situation on the ground. Tehran also weighed in: Iran explicitly linked its own fate to Lebanon and threatened northern Israel, as Le Parisien reports.

Diplomatic reactions and ceasefire attempt

Diplomatically, France responded with a request for an emergency session of the UN Security Council. President Emmanuel Macron stated that «nothing justifies the ongoing massive escalation in southern Lebanon». The UN in parallel called for respect of existing ceasefire agreements.

The decisive shift came in the evening: Trump announced on his social network that he had conducted a «very productive» telephone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The result according to Trump: «No troops will go to Beirut» – and those already underway had turned back. Lebanese authorities confirmed shortly after that Hezbollah had accepted an American proposal for «mutual cessation of attacks». Whether these commitments hold remains open given the ongoing fighting in the south of the country.