Israeli Strikes in Southern Lebanon Kill 16 Despite Reported Ceasefire
BEIRUT — Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday, local authorities said, even as reports emerged of a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The strikes come amid a broader regional push to stabilize the Middle East, including an interim agreement between the United States and Iran.
Lebanon’s civil defence agency said its personnel transported “16 dead and 12 wounded” to hospital, adding that they had been working “since the early morning hours” in the Nabatieh district in response to “ongoing attacks targeting the area,” as reported by Reuters.
The deadliest strike on Saturday hit a three-storey residential building in the southern town of Barish in the Tyre district, killing a father, mother and their two children, a local village official told Reuters.
The violence flared on Friday after four Israeli soldiers, including a senior officer, were killed when a tank was hit by Hezbollah. Hezbollah said the strike came after Israel had broken a previous ceasefire agreement by advancing. In response, Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon and in the Beka’a valley killed 47 people, local authorities said.
Reports indicate that a new ceasefire was supposed to take effect locally on Friday evening. According to a Gulf diplomat who spoke to AFP, the ceasefire was brokered with the involvement of Qatar, the United States, and Iran. The diplomat said the ceasefire aimed to stop the escalation in Lebanon from derailing a broader push to turn the interim US-Iran agreement into a lasting regional peace deal.
A senior US official told Reuters, “We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire.” However, the exact status of the ceasefire remains unclear. In public statements, Hezbollah has said it will abide by a ceasefire if Israel does, but has not confirmed that a ceasefire is actually in place.
The Israeli military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in response to overnight projectile launches from the Iran-aligned Lebanese militant organization. Israeli ministers and commentators have fiercely criticized the interim US-Iran agreement, arguing that it stops Israel from countering a threat from Hezbollah.
The interim agreement, signed this week, calls for a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. It also reportedly includes incentives for Iran, such as the eventual lifting of international sanctions and a $300bn fund for postwar reconstruction, though details have not been officially confirmed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Israel's only interest is "permanent war," a sentiment echoed by critics of the ongoing violence. The new outbreak of fighting on Friday forced mediators to cancel talks in Switzerland that were supposed to start the process of turning the interim US-Iran agreement into a more detailed deal covering Iran’s nuclear programme.
As of Saturday evening, there was no immediate comment from Israeli officials on the civilian deaths. The situation on the ground remains tense, with the region bracing for further escalation despite the reported ceasefire.