Key facts
- Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire that went into effect Friday.
- The ceasefire was reached after intensive calls and deliberations led by the US and Iran.
- Fighting escalated Thursday night when Hezbollah attacked Israeli forces near Ali al-Taher, killing four soldiers.
- Israel responded with air strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, hitting over 80 targets.
- At least 47 people were killed and 39 wounded in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes.
- The escalation threatened to unravel a US-Iran agreement aimed at halting regional hostilities.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire on Friday, a development that followed intensive mediation by the United States and Iran and came after a sharp escalation in fighting threatened to unravel a fragile regional truce.
The ceasefire, which went into effect at 4pm local time, was reached after intensive calls and deliberations led by the US and Iran, according to a source familiar with Hezbollah. Tehran had threatened not to attend talks with the US in Geneva following Israeli attacks in Lebanon, with the ceasefire contingent on Israel adhering to it.
Fighting intensified on Thursday night when Hezbollah attacked Israeli forces attempting to advance near Ali al-Taher, a strategic position close to Nabatieh. The Israeli military reported four soldiers killed and several wounded, while Hezbollah stated its fighters carried out ambushes and drone attacks. Israel responded with air strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, hitting more than 80 targets. Lebanon's health ministry reported at least 47 people killed and 39 wounded in strikes on 11 towns.
A source familiar with Hezbollah suggested that Israel's attacks were intended to sabotage the US-Iran agreement, noting that strikes extended to Baalbek and the Bekaa Valley, beyond a direct response to the ambush. The military's actions were seen as an attempt to seize Ali al-Taher, which overlooks large parts of the Nabatieh district and Iqlim al-Tuffah region, consolidating Israel's presence in territory it occupied before 2000.
This escalation occurred a day after Israel published a map showing an expanded area of military deployment in southern Lebanon. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz emphasized the territorial nature of the operation, stating that residents of the security zone would not return. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed ordering attacks following the soldier's deaths and stated Israeli forces would remain in the southern Lebanon security zone as long as necessary.
President Donald Trump said Washington expected a complete ceasefire, and France called on the US to intervene. The renewed violence disrupted diplomacy, as US-Iran talks in Geneva were scrapped. A Hezbollah-affiliated source indicated that Iran assured the group it would not finalize a deal with Washington without provisions addressing Lebanon, requiring a complete cessation of hostilities and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Hezbollah accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire and the US-Iran deal, and remains opposed to direct negotiations with Israel in Washington, suggesting the US itself may no longer be interested in that process.