US President Donald Trump on Monday has said he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull Israeli troops back from Lebanon’s capital Beirut and also held talks with Hezbollah representatives, claiming the group had agreed to stop firing at Israeli forces.

In response, Netanyahu told Trump that Israel would continue strikes on Beirut if Hezbollah keeps launching attacks against Israeli cities and civilians, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office. The statement added that Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon would proceed as planned.

Meanwhile, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that Tehran could take a tougher stance if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue. During talks with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Ghalibaf said Iran would not only suspend its negotiation process with the United States but could also enter into direct confrontation with Israel if the conflict escalates further.

Despite the warning from Tehran, Trump said negotiations between the United States and Iran were continuing rapidly.

On the ground, hostilities persisted in Lebanon. The country’s National News Agency reported ongoing Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon late Monday, with reports of casualties.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli military operations in Lebanon since March have killed 3,433 people and injured 10,395 others.

Source: Al Jazeera