BEIRUT: Fighting flared anew in Lebanon on Friday, with authorities reporting 47 killed in Israeli airstrikes and Israel announcing the deaths of four of its soldiers.
The violence is the worst since the sealing of a US-Iran deal to halt the wider Middle East war, which was supposed to also pause fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported a fresh Israeli strike on the area of Jezzine in the south, soon after a US official said on Friday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed a ceasefire.
An NNA journalist also reported drones flying over the Tyre area, while an AFP correspondent heard artillery shelling in the southern town of Nabatieh.
The US official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the truce was brokered by US and Qatari mediators, following talks with Israel and Iran.
A Gulf diplomat confirmed the ceasefire was brokered by Qatar, the US and Iran.
Israel’s ambassador to the US said his country would commit to the ceasefire if Hezbollah respected it.
“If Hezbollah honours the agreement and ceases its hostilities, they will be met with quiet,” Yechiel Leiter said on X.
An earlier truce meant to have taken effect in April did little to stop attacks from either side.
Some in Israel were sceptical that the latest truce would last.
“I don’t know what ceasefire we’re talking about because as we all know, there’s been attacks on both sides,” said Almog Goresnic, 21, from Tel Aviv.
Also on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a call that a comprehensive ceasefire must be secured in order for talks with Israel to progress.
The State Department, meanwhile, announced the resumption of negotiations in Washington from June 23 to 25. These discussions will provide an opportunity to “make progress toward a lasting peace”, department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
He added that during the call with Aoun, “Rubio reiterated the need to disarm Hezbollah and to re-establish control over all Lebanese territory”.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli airstrikes and bombardments killed at least 47 people — including seven women and two children — and wounded 97 others in Lebanon on Friday.
Video from AFPTV showed hundreds of cars packing roads in the city of Sidon as people attempted to flee southern areas.
Israel’s military reported “more than 150 IDF strikes in Lebanon since midnight”.
It said earlier it had “struck more than 80 command centres, terrorists, launch positions and additional terrorist infrastructure sites in the area of Nabatieh and additional areas in southern Lebanon”.
“Dozens of Hezbollah terrorists… were eliminated.”
Iran-backed Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it was attacking Israeli forces around Nabatieh.
Israeli strikes also targeted the Baalbek region in the east of Lebanon.
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