Israel bombs Lebanon as Hezbollah rejects US-brokered cease-fire

Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon have resulted in civilian casualties, occurring less than 24 hours after a US-mediated cease-fire proposal was agreed upon by Israel and Lebanon. According to Lebanon's Health Ministry, at least eight people were killed and 15 others wounded on Thursday in strikes targeting Sohmor, Masaken, and Arab Al-Jalil. The IDF reported that an anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah killed an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon and that Israel blamed Hezbollah for the death of a UN peacekeeper wounded in a mortar shell attack. The US State Department had stated that Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a cease-fire contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of its fighters from the South Litani Sector, with plans for pilot zones where the Lebanese Armed Forces would eventually take exclusive control. Hezbollah was not a party to these talks and stated that any arrangement demanding its withdrawal while Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon would reward occupation. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem described the Washington-backed arrangement as a 'shameless' attempt to force Lebanon into surrender, warning that northern Israel would remain under threat as long as Lebanon is bombed. US President Donald Trump, however, told reporters that he had spoken to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah, dismissing the notion that the group was rejecting the initiative and insisting progress was being made. The recent fighting follows weeks of Israeli strikes and ground operations in Lebanon, including the capture of Beaufort Castle.