Donald Trump announces Israeli and Lebanese leaders to speak, unconfirmed by both nations

US President Donald Trump announced that the "leaders" of Israel and Lebanon would speak on Thursday, which would be a first, though neither country, officially in a state of war, confirmed the contact. Trump's announcement followed direct discussions on Tuesday between the ambassadors of both countries in Washington. Israel and pro-Iranian Hezbollah have been in conflict since March 2. Trump posted on Truth Social, "We are trying to create a little respite between Israel and Lebanon. It's been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, about 34 years. It's going to happen tomorrow." However, the President did not specify which leaders he was referring to. A Lebanese official source told AFP, "We are not aware of a planned contact with the Israeli side and we have not been informed through official channels." The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered no comment when questioned by AFP about Trump's proposals. Michael Young, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted to AFP that no contact between the leaders of the two countries has occurred to date. In September 1982, Bachir Gemayel, elected president following the Israeli invasion, met with Israeli leaders but was assassinated before taking office. In 1992 and 1993, diplomats from both countries met in Washington as part of the Middle East peace process initiated by the Madrid international conference. A senior US official had indicated before Trump's announcement that the U