Israel told to 'prepare for Lebanon ceasefire' but Trump claims that leaders will meet are rejected
The IDF received instructions to prepare the forces currently deployed in southern Lebanon for the truce
Israel's military has been told to prepare for a ceasefire with Lebanon despite President Trump's claim that a meeting between the country's leaders was rejected.
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Senior IDF officials reportedly received instructions to prepare for the agreement which is expected to come into force at around 7pm on Thursday and last until midnight, according tp Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
The military has not publicly commented on the reports.
President Trump posted on his TruthSocial account on Thursday morning that Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu were poised to meet for the "first time in 34 years".
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The President wrote: "Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice! President DJT"
However, Aoun responded to the claims saying Lebanon wasn't ready to have talks with Israel.
A Lebanese official told CNN: "We told America we aren't ready to take that step."
The US has been told that further negotiations between the two nations will not take place until a ceasefire is reached.
However, it emerged on Thursday that Trump spoke to Auon over the phone in their first call since he was re-elected president last January.
Aoun said in a post online that he "renewed his thanks for the efforts Trump is exerting to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon and secure lasting peace and stability" during the call.
He also expressed his wish to stop hostilities "at the earliest possible time".
It comes days after Netanyahu said he has instructed Israeli officials to begin negotiations with Lebanon over a peace deal "as soon as possible".
The Israeli PM said: "In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.
"The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon."
Relations remain hanging by a thread after three successive Israeli attacks have killed at least three paramedics in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces carried out "two consecutive airstrikes" on the Qasmiyeh Bridge linking Sidon to the southern city of Tyre which "completely destroyed" it, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.
The Lebanese army said the strikes have cut off the area from the rest of the country.
It said in a statement: "In the context of the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon, the Qasmiyeh-Tyre coastal bridge was targeted and destroyed, with the aim of separating the area south of the Litani from its north and isolating it."
It added that the strikes killed one person and wounded three others, among them "a soldier from the unit stationed on the bridge".
Israeli strikes also killed at least 254 people across Lebanon last week.
Earlier this month, US and Iran agreed a two-week pause in fighting, but it is unclear on whether Lebanon is included in included in the ceasefire.