Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 32 people on Saturday, despite a renewed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that began on Friday. The violence threatens to derail planned US-Iran talks aimed at cementing a fragile peace process.
Ceasefire Violations and Casualties
Lebanon's civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes killed 16 people and wounded 12 in the Nabatieh district. The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) said a Lebanese soldier was killed in an attack on the village of Kfar Reman. In the Tyre District, an Israeli strike on Barish killed four members of the same family: a father, mother, and two children. Another raid hit a house in Sohmor in the western Bekaa, killing four people and injuring one. An attack on Qanarit in Sidon district killed at least seven people and wounded 13, according to Lebanon's Health Emergency Operations Centre.
Israel carried out a wave of strikes overnight and into Saturday afternoon, saying the IDF was targeting Hezbollah after the group attacked troops in violation of the ceasefire. Lebanese media and first responders reported at least 27 killed and 26 wounded in those strikes.
Hezbollah Attack on Israeli Forces
An Israeli soldier was killed and 13 others injured in a Hezbollah attack on troops in southern Lebanon overnight, the military announced. The slain soldier was named as Sgt. First Class Nir Ben Ari, 21, of the Commando Brigade’s Maglan unit, from Kerem Maharal. According to a military probe, at around 1:30 a.m., a barrage of rockets and an explosive drone struck a military position in the Nabatieh-area village of Kfar Tebnit. The projectiles killed Ben Ari and wounded 13 other troops, including two in serious condition, one moderately, and 10 lightly hurt. Following the attack, the IDF carried out strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Nabatieh area.
Israeli and US Positions
The Israeli forces said it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement in accordance with the directives of the political echelon.” A military official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz had instructed the IDF to “hold its fire” in Lebanon. The instruction was issued following “coordination between the political echelon and the United States,” according to Channel 12 news. A “senior official” later said Netanyahu stressed that Israel will remain in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary to defend its northern border,” according to a statement sent to reporters by the Prime Minister’s Office. The official said that Netanyahu “instructed the IDF to respond forcefully to any Hezbollah attack and to act to remove threats against our forces.”
Impact on US-Iran Talks
Follow-up talks between Iran and the US on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed this week will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Saturday. US and Iranian representatives will participate, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar. However, ongoing Israeli air raids and drone attacks in southern Lebanon have complicated the planned talks. Iran views a ceasefire in Lebanon as essential to the diplomatic process and that it could “make or break” the US-Iran talks.
