A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect Friday afternoon in Lebanon, but reports of continued strikes and cross-border fire on Saturday underscored the challenges facing a broader US-brokered diplomatic effort aimed at de-escalating regional tensions.
The truce, backed by US diplomatic efforts, is seen as a critical prerequisite for launching a proposed 60-day negotiation process between Washington and Tehran. The talks seek to address Iran’s nuclear program and wider security concerns across the region.
Under an interim agreement reached earlier this week, the US, Iran, and their respective allies were expected to halt military operations on multiple fronts, including Lebanon.
Israel, however, has distanced itself from the arrangement, stating it was not party to the negotiations and that its forces would remain in positions they currently control in southern Lebanon. Israeli officials emphasized that operations would continue to target perceived security threats from Hezbollah.
Despite the ceasefire announcement, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli fighter jets and drones conducted strikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, strongholds associated with the Iran-backed group. Israeli military sources said the actions were in response to more than 50 projectiles launched overnight toward Israeli positions in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has not officially claimed responsibility for the rocket fire but warned through a senior official that it would not tolerate unrestricted Israeli military activity inside Lebanese territory or a return to prior security arrangements.
The latest violence included a deadly airstrike on a residential building in the town of Barish in Lebanon’s Tyre district, where local authorities said four members of one family, including two children were killed. Separately, Lebanon’s army reported that one of its soldiers died in an Israeli strike along the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road.
Since March 2, Lebanese health authorities say Israeli operations have killed 3,912 people, including civilians, women, children, and medical personnel. Israel reports at least 32 of its soldiers and four civilians killed in the same period.
The conflict escalated after Hezbollah joined the wider regional confrontation tied to the Israel-US-Iran dynamics, resulting in intense exchanges and Israeli ground incursions into southern Lebanon. Israeli military spokespeople described their operations as focused on dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and neutralizing threats rather than targeting civilians, stressing that long-term stability requires the group to cease activities that violate existing agreements.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as part of mediation efforts. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance canceled a planned trip to Switzerland, where discussions with Iranian officials had been anticipated, citing heightened tensions involving Israel and Hezbollah.
Speculation persists about possible meetings involving US envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. Swiss officials met with Qatari delegates on Friday at the Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne to help sustain the diplomatic track.
The interim US-Iran agreement includes sanctions relief for Tehran, the release of billions in frozen assets, waivers for oil exports, and a proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund with additional economic incentives.
President Donald Trump defended the deal on social media Friday, arguing that Iran had been significantly weakened by the conflict and rejecting claims that the US was negotiating from a position of weakness. He said Washington would closely monitor compliance during the 60-day period.
The broader regional conflict has claimed at least 8,000 lives, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, while driving up global energy prices and reigniting inflationary pressures.
As casualties mount despite the ceasefire declaration, questions remain over the timing and viability of substantive US-Iran negotiations that could convert the interim pact into a more lasting settlement.
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