“The violence involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants added to pressure on the U.S.-Iran deal, which calls for fighting to stop on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least 18 people and injured 33 others, Lebanese health officials said, after the Israeli military said that four of its soldiers were killed in an attack.
The spurt of violence added to the pressure on the preliminary agreement between Iran and the United States, which calls for fighting to stop on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Israeli leaders have suggested that they are not bound by the U.S.-Iran deal, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that Israeli forces would not soon withdraw from Lebanon, where they have been clashing with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia despite a nominal truce. There was no immediate comment from Iran on the Friday attacks in Lebanon.
The attack on Israeli troops was one of the single deadliest known strikes on Israeli forces since the latest fighting began in early March.
Four soldiers were killed after their tank was hit near the town of Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon, according to a statement by the Israeli military.
In a series of statements on Friday, Hezbollah said its fighters had ambushed Israeli troops attempting to advance near Ali al-Taher heights, a strategic point in southern Lebanon. The group said it had fired rockets and mortar shells at Israeli forces and destroyed three Merkava tanks with guided missiles.
Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, said the military had struck more than 80 targets in response to the attack on the Israeli soldiers, and had killed dozens of Hezbollah militants in the northern Bekaa Valley and in the southern region of Nabatieh.
“Any violation of the cease-fire by Hezbollah would be met with a forceful response,” Mr. Katz said in a statement shared by his office Friday.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that casualties had been reported in at least 11 towns across southern Lebanon after what it described as intense Israeli strikes from midnight into Friday morning. The ministry said that the bombardment had hindered efforts to recover the dead and evacuate the wounded.
On Thursday, Israel released a map outlining what it called an expanded military zone of control in southern Lebanon and said that its military operations might not be confined to it. Israeli forces have pushed deeper into southern Lebanon in recent weeks and are now more than six miles inside Lebanese territory in some areas, dashing hopes that thousands of people displaced by the fighting could soon return to their homes.
Lebanon has increasingly become a focal point in the broader regional conflict involving Israel, Iran and Hezbollah. Clashes have continued despite U.S.-backed efforts at de-escalation, including the memorandum of understanding announced this week with Iran, which called for an end to hostilities on all fronts and urged respect for Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
Analysts said there were concerns that continued fighting in Lebanon could undermine the U.S.-Iran deal.
“Without firm U.S. leadership, persistent fighting in Lebanon will keep any U.S.-Iran understanding on a knife’s edge, liable to fall over at any moment,” said David Wood, the senior Lebanon analyst for the International Crisis Group, a research organization.” [1]
1. Israel Launches Airstrikes in Lebanon After 4 Soldiers Are Killed. Abdi Latif Dahir. New York Times (Online) New York Times Company. Jun 19, 2026.
Komentarų nėra:
Rašyti komentarą