Less than 24 hours after Israel and Hezbollah established a new ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon are said to have killed about 20 people. Israeli jets, drones, and artillery hit multiple locations, resulting in 16 deaths in the Nabatieh region and seven injuries in neighboring Saida, according to local officials.
The Israeli military claimed to have hit “Hezbollah terrorist targets” following the group’s firing of more than fifty rockets against Israeli forces in the area. Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed Iran’s top leader, drawing Lebanon into the US-Iran war. Washington has denounced Israel’s continued activities in Lebanon.
Washington also worries that the US peace agreement with Iran, which calls for a stop to hostilities on “all fronts” including Lebanon, may be jeopardized by the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.
According to reports, US ambassador Steve Witkoff is traveling to Switzerland to hold preliminary negotiations with Iran in order to strengthen the deal. The agreement does not address the fundamental issues at the core of the conflict, such as Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon and the future of Hezbollah’s weapons, even though it may have temporarily prevented a wider regional escalation.
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