During a security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu was asked what led to the sudden change and Israel’s decision to agree to a ceasefire. “It's a Trump request,” he answered.

Israel on Friday shelled a town in southern Lebanon and conducted additional aerial raids in the country, according to Al Jazeera, sending the death toll to 2,491 and the number of wounded to 7,719 since the conflict began there on March 2.

The Israeli leader routinely hails the close coordination between the US and Israel – between himself and Trump – but at key moments, Trump has boxed him in.

Trump’s public remarks appeared to exceed the text of the US-backed truce, prompting Israeli officials to seek clarification while clashes on the ground continued. Israel was surprised by US

The meeting comes as President Donald Trump announced the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak later on Thursday about halting the fighting between them.

Most Israelis wanted the fight against Hezbollah to continue. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s critics say he is showing that he cannot, or will not, stand up to President Trump.

After announcing a three-week extension of the cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon, Trump said in the Oval Office that he planned to work with

The truce that Trump said was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Eastern follows more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

Iran is growing increasingly agitated over the U.S. naval blockade. Meanwhile, American officials say the U.S. has not agreed to extend the ceasefire.

Lebanon's President Aoun will not speak with Netanyahu for now, a senior Lebanese official told Fox News Digital, dealing a setback to Trump's push for direct contact with Israel.

The cease-fire between the United States, Israel and Iran is on shaky ground as Iran demands that two conditions be met before it can begin.