Israel Bombs Lebanon, Kills 16, as US-Iran Peace Talks Collapse
Hours after a US-brokered ceasefire was supposed to take effect, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 16 people in southern Lebanon on Saturday, including two children, as both sides accused each other of breaking the truce and the violence forced US and Iranian negotiators to cancel their peace talks in Switzerland.
The attacks came just one day after the United States and Iran signed an interim agreement aimed at ending the wider war in the Middle East [177624]. The deal called for a halt to fighting in Lebanon and respect for the country’s sovereignty [177624]. However, neither Israel nor Hezbollah signed the agreement, and violence continued immediately after the theoretical start time [177542].
On Saturday, Israeli strikes hit the town of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages, killing at least seven people, including two children in the village of Barish [177624][177541]. A separate attack on the village of Arab Salim killed a Lebanese soldier, and drone strikes killed a person on a motorcycle in other villages [177624]. By the end of the day, at least 16 people had been killed in southern Lebanon [177558].
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces overnight, and that Israel responded by striking "dozens of terrorist infrastructures and terrorists" in southern Lebanon [177624][177669]. Hezbollah claimed it attacked Israeli troops early Saturday as they tried to enter the Ali al Taher hills, despite the truce being in effect [177669].
The violence directly derailed planned diplomatic talks. Iranian officials did not travel to Switzerland as planned, saying fighting in Lebanon must stop before talks can start [177624]. US Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip [177624]. Mediators are now working to reschedule the meetings, but no new date has been announced [178030].
The interim US-Iran agreement, signed this week, had already reopened the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had closed, cutting off global oil and gas supplies [177624]. The deal also aimed to restart talks on Iran’s nuclear program [177624]. However, with fighting continuing, the agreement is under threat [177624].
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the initial deal was signed digitally, so the Switzerland meeting was not urgent [177624]. But analysts say the ambiguity over the ceasefire terms risks unraveling the fragile truce entirely [174398].