“Israel strikes when struck,” Huckabee wrote. “Ceasefire happens when Hezbollah stops shooting and killing.”
By United with Israel Staff
International pressure on Israel over its operations in Lebanon intensified Friday, as officials in France and Pakistan called for greater American pressure on Jerusalem while Israeli and U.S. officials defended Israel’s actions in the face of continued Hezbollah attacks.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Israel must halt its military operations in Lebanon and urged the United States to pressure Jerusalem to stop its strikes.
French President Emmanuel Macron struck a similar tone in remarks following the G7 summit. While acknowledging that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had achieved genuine security successes in defending Israel, Macron argued that the Israeli leader lacked a broader strategic vision and suggested President Donald Trump had recently become more critical of Netanyahu.
“I think that today, Netanyahu does not appear to have a strategic plan,” Macron said. “Trump has changed his attitude toward Netanyahu in recent days, and only under those conditions will real change be possible.”
The criticism comes amid growing international debate over Israel’s continued military presence in southern Lebanon and its campaign against Hezbollah, even as the terrorist group continues to carry out attacks against Israeli forces.
Following the deadly overnight attacks in southern Lebanon that killed four Israeli soldiers, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee strongly defended Israel’s actions and pushed back against growing international criticism.
Referring to French calls for Israel to halt its strikes, Huckabee wrote on X: “French FM said Israel needs to stop strikes on Hezbollah. Does France get all its info from Hezbollah?”
He noted that four Israeli soldiers had been killed the previous night and argued that Israel was responding to ongoing attacks rather than initiating them.
“Israel strikes when struck,” Huckabee wrote. “Ceasefire happens when Hezbollah stops shooting and killing.”
French FM said Israel needs to stop strikes on Hezbollah. Does France get all its info from Hezbollah? Last night, Israel had 4 of its soldiers killed. Israel strikes when struck as @yechielleiter brings FACTS. Ceasefire happens when Hezbollah stops shooting & killing. https://t.co/OzeCOTPy6D
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 19, 2026
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter similarly emphasized that Israel remains committed to the ceasefire arrangement reached with Lebanon and the United States.
“If Hezbollah does not violate the agreement, it will be kept,” Leiter said. “Under all circumstances, Israel retains its right to respond to attacks against it and to thwart threats to its territory, citizens and soldiers.”
Meanwhile, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry source told the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon pose a major challenge to the understandings reached between Washington and Tehran.
According to the source, the United States must pressure Israel to halt its operations and secure an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. The source also suggested that disagreements related to Lebanon remain one of several obstacles facing the next phase of negotiations between the United States and Iran.
The comments come as Lebanon has emerged as one of the most contentious issues surrounding the evolving U.S.-Iran agreement. Iranian officials have repeatedly argued that any final agreement must include an end to Israeli military activity in Lebanon and a full Israeli withdrawal from the country.
Israel has firmly rejected those demands, insisting that Hezbollah’s repeated attacks demonstrate the continuing need for Israeli military operations and security measures along the northern border.
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