Israeli strikes continued hitting targets in southern Lebanon on Saturday, a day after a renewed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced with American backing. Lebanon's civil defense agency reported at least sixteen people killed in strikes concentrated in the Nabatieh district, while the Lebanese army said one of its soldiers was among the dead — struck by Israeli fire despite the ceasefire arrangement nominally being in effect.
The continuing strikes drew sharp reactions from Lebanese officials, who called the attacks a clear violation of the agreed terms. Israel did not formally comment on the specific incidents but has consistently maintained that any operations it conducts are directed at active Hezbollah military infrastructure and that ceasefire terms do not prohibit action against imminent threats.
Fragile Framework
The current ceasefire is the second attempt to formalize a halt to hostilities since the original November 2024 arrangement collapsed earlier this year. Both versions have struggled with the fundamental tension at their core: Israel insists on retaining the right to act against Hezbollah targets it deems threatening, while Hezbollah and Lebanon define virtually any Israeli military presence or strike in Lebanese territory as a violation of the arrangement.
We will not allow Hezbollah to use Lebanese territory to rebuild its offensive capacity. Every strike serves that single purpose, and it will continue until that threat is genuinely removed.
American officials, who brokered the renewed truce only the previous day, described the situation as deeply concerning and urged maximum restraint. The continuing violence also complicated Washington's parallel effort to restart nuclear talks with Iran, which had been postponed due to the earlier Lebanese escalation. A US State Department spokesperson said the administration was in intensive contact with all parties and expected the ceasefire terms to be honored.
Ground Reality
On the ground, the IDF maintains a presence in southern Lebanon extending up to ten kilometres from the border, with five established outposts that the military describes as permanent. Lebanese authorities have repeatedly demanded full Israeli withdrawal as a precondition for any stable ceasefire. Israel has rejected setting a timeline for withdrawal, conditioning any future drawback on verifiable guarantees that Hezbollah cannot re-establish a military presence in the vacated areas.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, which has operated in the country since 1978, has been largely unable to assert itself between the two sides and has called for an immediate halt to all hostilities. UNIFIL commanders said their patrols in the south were being significantly constrained by the security situation on the ground.