The IDF carried out strikes in Beirut, including in the Dahieh district, a Hezbollah stronghold, according to reports from Lebanon. The developments mark a sharp escalation along the northern front just hours after a ceasefire aimed at easing regional tensions.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam following the strikes, expressing “full solidarity” with Lebanon.
“I expressed France’s full solidarity in the face of the indiscriminate strikes carried out by Israel in Lebanon today, which resulted in a very high number of civilian casualties. We condemn these strikes in the strongest possible terms,” Macron said.
He warned the strikes “pose a direct threat to the sustainability of the ceasefire that has just been reached” and stressed that Lebanon must be fully included in the agreement. Macron also reiterated France’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and efforts to implement Hezbollah’s disarmament plan.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized NATO after meeting Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.
“NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again. Remember Greenland, that big, poorly run, piece of ice!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump has repeatedly threatened since returning to office to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
His comments come amid frustration in Washington over NATO allies who, according to U.S. officials, did not provide sufficient support to the United States and Israel during the war with Iran, including in efforts related to the Strait of Hormuz.
Rutte said he held an “open and honest” discussion with Trump, acknowledging the president’s disappointment while noting that many European countries contributed through bases, logistics and overflight support.