Israel attacks Lebanon (AP images)
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came under renewed strain on Saturday after fresh Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon reportedly killed five people, including a Lebanese Army soldier and two children, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).The latest attacks came less than 24 hours after a US and Qatar-brokered ceasefire took effect and raised fresh concerns about the viability of the wider Iran-US peace framework, which includes provisions aimed at ending hostilities in Lebanon.According to the NNA, an Israeli airstrike targeting the Kfarremane roundabout killed a Lebanese Army soldier. Separate strikes hit Sohmur, Shibl in the Jezzine district and the town of Barish, where four members of the same family, including a father, mother and two children, were killed.The agency also reported airstrikes on the Hima Labaya area, low-flying drones over Beirut’s southern suburbs and a series of raids on Kfarreman, Habboush, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Choukine, Zebdine and Kfarjouz. Civil Defence teams and emergency responders continued search and rescue operations amid reports that several people remained trapped under rubble.The renewed violence follows Israel’s deadliest wave of strikes in Lebanon since the Iran-US memorandum of understanding was announced earlier this week. According to Lebanese authorities, at least 18 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Thursday night after four Israeli soldiers, including a battalion commander, were killed in Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon.Despite the ceasefire taking effect on Friday afternoon, an Israeli airstrike was reported near the southern Lebanese town of Sajd shortly afterwards, according to Lebanese media.The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have indicated that military operations will continue despite the truce.”These attacks by Hezbollah are violations of the ceasefire. They prove that Hezbollah’s goals remain the same: to remain on Israel’s borders and to plan and carry out attacks on our civilians. This is not a reality we can accept, and this is exactly why the IDF continues to operate in southern Lebanon. Recent events have made one thing clear: IDF soldiers must stand between Hezbollah and Israeli civilians,” IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said.”We will not wait for the next attack to reach our homes. We will continue to remove immediate threats, respond to Hezbollah’s violations, and do whatever is necessary to protect our civilians,” he added.Israel says its latest operations are a response to Hezbollah attacks that killed four soldiers and wounded several others. The IDF has claimed it struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon and eliminated dozens of militants.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military campaign and vowed further action.”I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the commander of the 52nd Armoured Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Dor Gadliah Ben Simhon, and of the three heroic fighters whose names have not yet been released, may their blood be avenged, and I wish a full recovery to the wounded in yesterday’s exchange of fire. Following the heinous attack by Hezbollah, which was a blatant violation of the ceasefire, I instructed the IDF last night to strike Hezbollah with full force,” Netanyahu said.”The IDF attacked more than 80 terrorist targets and eliminated dozens of terrorists. Subsequently, the IDF struck Hezbollah headquarters in the Bekaa Valley this morning,” he added.He further warned: “This morning, I held a situation assessment with the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff. My directive is clear: Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks. As I made unequivocally clear, including yesterday: Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as required to protect the settlements in the north.”The escalation has also been accompanied by inflammatory rhetoric from Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose comments have drawn widespread criticism.”For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep. All of Lebanon must burn!” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.”With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not forfeit. All of Lebanon must burn.””Enough with the ping-pong. In the Middle East, you don’t win with measured responses and restraint–you need to go berserk. To obliterate. To crush the terror.”On the Lebanese side, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the group would continue to defend itself if attacked.”The project to eliminate Hezbollah and entrench the occupation has failed, and the Israelis will withdraw from every last inch of our land,” Qassem said in a televised address.He also accused Israel and the United States of attempting to weaken Lebanon’s resistance movement and interfere in the country’s future.The renewed fighting threatens one of the key provisions of the 14-point Iran-US memorandum of understanding, which calls for an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations, including in Lebanon, while negotiations on a broader settlement continue.The violence has also coincided with the postponement of technical talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland, which were expected to focus on implementing the agreement. The delay has fuelled concerns that continued hostilities in Lebanon could derail efforts to stabilise the region following the recent US-Iran breakthrough.For now, the ceasefire appears to exist largely on paper, with both Israel and Hezbollah accusing each other of violations while military operations continue on the ground. The latest strikes underscore how quickly the Lebanon front has emerged as one of the biggest tests of the fragile peace process taking shape across the Middle East. Go to Source
