Saturday marked one of the deadliest days in Lebanon since the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in June, an agreement intended to pave the way for negotiations toward a permanent end to the war.
The MoU’s opening paragraph called for an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” but fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has continued in southern Lebanon throughout the 60-day deadline to end the war under the agreement.
Israeli strikes killed 11 people and wounded 19 others in Lebanon on Saturday, according to the country’s health ministry, making it the deadliest day since the truce. The Israel Defense Force said the strikes were targeting Hezbollah infrastructure after the militant group carried out what it described as “an action” against Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. It did not provide any details about the Hezbollah action.
Israel also agreed to withdraw its troops from two areas in southern Lebanon in another set of talks brokered by the US in June after the MoU was signed. The agreement stipulated that Hezbollah must disarm, but the group rejected that condition until Israel fully withdraws.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 4,346 people since March 2, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. The latest escalation comes as the 60-day period has expired without a final agreement, with negotiations stalled and both sides accusing each other of violating the terms of the MoU.
