Amid the US-Iran peace efforts, the Israeli military on Friday (19th June) confirmed that it launched strikes at several Hezbollah-linked sites in southern Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), the strikes have reportedly resulted in 16 casualties.
The Israeli military said that the strikes followed repeated ceasefire violations by the Iran-backed terrorist group. The strikes came after Hezbollah struck an Israeli tank, killing four Israeli soldiers. As a result, Israel responded with extensive IDF strikes against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah, on Thursday (18th June), confirmed that its fighters were engaged in fresh clashes with the Israeli military. In a statement, the Iran-backed terrorist group said it had prevented a four-day Israeli attack aimed at advancing deeper into southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said that it targeted Israeli troops and tanks with drones, rockets and artillery, to stop them from advancing towards Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district of Lebanon.
The military escalation comes a day after Israel released a map depicting the current positions of its forces inside southern Lebanon, extending about 10km (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory, along its “Yellow Line”, a framework similar to the Israeli military measure in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli attacks followed the US-Iran agreement, which stipulates an end to the war in the Middle East on all fronts, including Lebanon. The timing of the attacks also coincides with planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States on implementing the 14-point agreement to end their war. Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced that the talks have been cancelled.
After the US-Iran agreement, Israel is facing pressure to stop its attacks in Lebanon and withdraw its forces to comply with the ceasefire. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to withdraw the Israeli military from Lebanon, saying that the Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon until the threat from Hezbollah is eliminated. Soon after the US-Iran reached a preliminary agreement, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made it clear that Jerusalem did not consider itself bound by any deal negotiated between Washington and Tehran.
