From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 25, 2026
‘Bang on Trump’s desk’: Far-right ministers demand Netanyahu return to war in Lebanon
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Far-right ministers demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renew military operations in Lebanon in response to Hezbollah explosive drone attacks, ahead of a potential Iran-US deal which could curb Israeli action against the terror group.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says that the premier must “inform” US President Donald Trump that the war in Lebanon is being restarted.
“We must not normalize the reality of explosive drones. The time has come for the prime minister to bang on Trump’s desk and inform him that we are returning to war in Lebanon,” Ben Gvir declares in a statement, days ahead of a planned round of Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington.
“We must cut off the electricity in Lebanon, conquer Zahrani, and return to high-intensity warfare,” he adds, referencing a river north of the Litani, indicating a wish to expand the area of the war.
Far right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for strikes on Beirut in a separate statement announcing his approval of an NIS 2 billion ($692.8 million) budget for “technological solutions to the drone threat.”
“A strategic threat is not met with defense alone; for every explosive drone, ten buildings in Beirut need to fall,” Smotrich declares.
The Times of Israel Community.