ByAMICHAI STEINJUNE 1, 2026 05:46The United States "does not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians by a terrorist organization," a US official told The Jerusalem Post on Monday following reports that Israel was seeking US approval for an expanded operation in Beirut, Lebanon."The fastest way to de-escalate and protect civilians on all sides is for Hezbollah to stop firing immediately," the official said.He told the Post that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio proposed a framework to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun for de-escalating hostilities.According to the official, the framework called on Hezbollah to stop all its attacks on Israel, with the IDF avoiding an escalation of its Beirut only in return for that initiative.The framework would create the conditions for a gradual de-escalation of tensions and an effective cessation of hostilities, the official said.LEBANESE PRESIDENT Joseph Aoun is seen attending a press conference in Baabda, in 2026. (credit: MOHAMED AZAKIR/REUTERS)Aoun attempted to advance the proposal and secure an agreement. However, the response from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was evasive and disappointing.Berri claimed he could "guarantee" Hezbollah's commitment to a ceasefire, but placed the burden on Israel to cease fire first, despite the fact that Hezbollah initiated the current round of fighting on March 2, just as it initiated the previous war in 2023.Israel asks US to allow expanded Beirut strikesOn Sunday, two sources told the Post that senior Israeli officials had appealed to senior US officials to allow the IDF to expand its operations in Beirut.According to the sources, Israeli officials were hopeful that the US response would be favorable, given the lack of progress in both the negotiations between Washington and Tehran and the talks between Israel and Lebanon.Follow us on Google