Lebanon and Syria on edge ahead of high-stakes Trump-Netanyahu meeting

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

Israeli strikes continue across Lebanese territory, hitting Radwan Force centers and Hezbollah military sites.

Officials within the Israeli military have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump, during their scheduled meeting next week, to approve an operation aimed at undermining Hezbollah’s capabilities.

The calls coincided with a public opinion poll indicating that 58 percent of Israelis favor returning to fighting—but in a limited way—to protect northern Israel.

On the ground, the Israeli army recently completed a drill simulating a sudden outbreak of fighting on one of the fronts, while the military intelligence branch and air force assessed the army’s ability to respond to drones and anti-tank missiles possessed by Hezbollah. 

The assessment has sparked disagreements within the military, which also acknowledged it would face major challenges if fighting with Hezbollah resumes and Israeli settlements come under attack.

Military estimates suggest that 2027 could be a year of war, though it remains unclear on which front hostilities might begin.

In Syria, with Tel Aviv insisting on a buffer zone in the country’s south up to the outskirts of Damascus, expectations have emerged that the Trump-Netanyahu meeting could produce a breakthrough in security talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv and possibly organize a meeting between Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. However, optimism about such developments remains limited.