At least 16 people were killed in southern Lebanon and several Israeli soldiers were wounded after the Israeli military launched a fresh offensive in the country's south. The rising tentions have raised fears that strikes could further jeopardise the fragile US-Iran peace process and delay planned negotiations.
"IDF struck throughout the night and continues to strike terrorists and terror infrastructure of the terror organization Hezbollah in several sectors in southern Lebanon," said IDF Online in a post on X.
It further added that the strikes were carried out following repeated and ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the terror organization Hezbollah.
While the US-Iran MOU attempts to enforce an immediate halt to fighting across all fronts (including Lebanon), the actual terms of an IDF withdrawal are being handled under a separate, direct negotiating track between Jerusalem and Beirut. These talks face a steep hill, especially as Hezbollah has vowed to ignore any deals they yield.
Israel has insisted on maintaining forces in Lebanon, while Iran demands a withdrawal.
Iranian officials have insisted that Israel must withdraw its forces from Lebanon as part of the arrangement, while Israeli leaders have rejected the demand.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have said Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon, citing security concerns and the threat posed by Hezbollah.
The disagreement has raised concerns that continued Israeli military presence and Hezbollah-related tensions could derail the broader ceasefire and diplomatic framework.
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Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, warned that any continued Israel Defense Forces (IDF) presence in southern Lebanon would mean the “annulment” of the newly signed MOU. Iran maintains that the implementation of the next phase of the agreement is strictly contingent on the complete cessation of attacks and a total Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory.
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The dispute has caused noticeable friction between US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu. Speaking at the G7 summit, Trump publicly criticized Israel's military actions in Lebanon as prolonged and heavy-handed, urging Netanyahu to act "more responsibly" and utilize a "softer touch" to minimize civilian casualties in apartment buildings.
Israel has explicitly refused to pull back from swaths of southern Lebanon, stating it will not cede the buffer zones it established to Hezbollah.
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