Israel authorizes talks with Lebanon after Trump's reported intervention

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized direct talks with Lebanon, with a meeting scheduled to be hosted in Washington next week. This move follows a reported phone call between Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, after which Trump said Israel would be 'scaling back' its attacks on Lebanon.

In Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid and others have accused Netanyahu of failing to achieve the war's goals, saying he 'sold us illusions,' but they have expressed support for pursuing negotiations with Lebanon.