Ceasefire fails? Israel strikes Lebanon, killing 7, as US-Iran deal wavers

TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least seven people, including two children. The attacks came just hours after reports of a ceasefire agreement. The ongoing fighting now threatens a new interim deal between the United States and Iran. Lebanon’s National News Agency said the strikes hit the town of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages. At least seven people are still trapped under the rubble. Mediators are working to stop the fighting between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah. On Friday, heavy fighting killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces overnight. Israel then started targeting the group in southern Lebanon. The official spoke anonymously, following military rules. On Friday, Israel’s ambassador to Washington said Israel is “firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if Hezbollah stops its attacks. Hezbollah has said it will follow a ceasefire if Israel does, but has not confirmed a deal is in place. A Hezbollah official said Qatar, the U.S., and Iran are working to broker a ceasefire, but stopped short of saying a deal was reached. **A conflict that could sink the US-Iran deal** Hezbollah and Israel went to war just days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel, and Israel seized large areas of southern Lebanon. The interim U.S.-Iran agreement, signed this week, has already reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had closed the strait, cutting off global oil and gas supplies. The deal also aims to restart talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah signed the deal. It calls for a halt to fighting in Lebanon and respect for the country’s sovereignty. With fighting continuing, the agreement is under threat. U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland, planned for Friday, have been delayed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep forces in southern Lebanon until threats are gone. Hezbollah refuses to stop attacks unless Israel withdraws. **Fighting in the south** Smoke rose over southern Lebanon on Saturday. Israeli jets flew low over the city of Tyre. A strike on the village of Barish killed four members of a family, including two children. In Arab Salim, a body was pulled from a destroyed house. Drone strikes killed a person on a motorcycle and a Lebanese soldier in other villages. Netanyahu’s office did not comment on ceasefire efforts. On Friday, he said the army had struck 150 Hezbollah targets, killing dozens of militants. **Iran and US cancel travel to Switzerland** Iranian officials did not travel to Switzerland as planned. They said fighting in Lebanon must stop before talks can start. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Pakistan’s interior minister will visit Iran as part of continued talks. He said the initial deal was signed digitally, so the Switzerland meeting was not urgent. **Much still needs to be resolved** The talks in Switzerland were meant to focus on Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran says its program is for peaceful purposes. But it has a large stockpile of enriched uranium, which could be used to build atomic bombs, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. The talks are expected to be difficult. The 2015 nuclear deal took more than 18 months to negotiate. The interim deal gives negotiators 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, but that can be extended. If Iran reaches a new deal, it would get incentives including the lifting of sanctions and a $300 billion fund for postwar rebuilding. Iran has already won some concessions. The U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and is allowing it to sell oil freely. The deal also calls for Iran’s assets to be unfrozen.