Israeli warplanes and drones carried out dozens of strikes across southern Lebanon on Tuesday, including the city of Nabatiyeh where evacuation warnings were issued. The attacks killed eight people, including a father and his two children, as Israel presses its campaign against Hezbollah.
The escalation follows a reported agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump stated he had spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of Hezbollah, asserting that both sides agreed all shooting would stop. Trump specifically asked Netanyahu not to attack Beirut to avert further escalation in the three-month-old war, though he later expressed that he was a little bit perturbed by the frequent fighting.
Despite these claims, clashes persist and neither side has publicly accepted the truce. The Israeli military reported attacks from Hezbollah overnight, while Hezbollah stated it targeted Israeli troops in occupied southern Lebanese lands. Under the proposed arrangement, Netanyahu had agreed to halt operations near Beirut and Hezbollah was to stop attacks on Israel.
The failure of the partial ceasefire has cast doubt on efforts to end hostilities. Experts warn that the continued offensive is undermining talks with Hezbollah and pushing a political solution further out of reach, particularly as Iran has threatened to pull out of peace talks.