Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon Amid Hezbollah Rejection of Peace Accord

One person was killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, according to the national health ministry, occurring just one day after a new agreement was signed to establish a path toward lasting peace.

Lebanon’s state news agency reported that an Israeli drone struck the southern town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, with subsequent strikes in the vicinity leaving at least two others wounded.

The Israeli military confirmed the drone operation, stating it targeted an individual who posed a direct threat to its personnel, though no specific details were released.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that was not a participant in Friday’s US-brokered negotiations, has rejected the deal. The group’s leadership accused the Beirut government of compromising Lebanese sovereignty.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Washington-negotiated agreement as “historic,” characterizing it as a significant “blow to Iran and Hezbollah.”

The four-point framework dictates that Israeli forces will withdraw from the South Litani area, allowing the Lebanese army to assume exclusive control of the territory. However, Israeli forces are authorized to maintain a presence within an expanded security zone in southern Lebanon.

On Saturday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem condemned the Lebanese government for what he termed damaging concessions.

“The framework agreement in Washington is humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty. This agreement is null and void,” Qassem stated.

Qassem specifically criticized the provisions that link Israel’s withdrawal to the disarmament of Hezbollah, claiming these terms crossed “all red lines.”

He characterized the actions of Lebanese authorities as a “grave blunder” that could potentially lead to the “annexation of these lands,” vowing that Hezbollah would persist in its armed resistance.

Later on Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz noted that Israeli forces have received orders to “prepare for an extended stay in the security zone,” which extends up to 10km (six miles) into Lebanese territory.

The current conflict escalated on March 2, following missile attacks launched by the Iran-backed Hezbollah against Israel in response to an Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader.

In response, Israel launched an extensive air campaign across Lebanon alongside a ground invasion in the south.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, Israeli attacks have claimed at least 4,192 lives since the hostilities began. Furthermore, Lebanon reports more than 11,600 injuries and the displacement of over 1.2 million people.

Israel has reported the deaths of 36 soldiers and four civilians on both sides of the border.

A US-brokered ceasefire attempted on April 16 failed to bring an end to the violence.

In June, Israel and Lebanon agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire. The United States has pledged to assist in establishing “pilot zones,” where the Lebanese Armed Forces will hold exclusive authority, excluding all non-state actors.

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