Hezbollah has declared the US-mediated ceasefire with Israel meaningless, one day after it was extended for three weeks, as Lebanese authorities reported two people killed by an Israeli airstrike and the group shot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon.
Trump announced the extension on Thursday after hosting Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors at the White House. The ceasefire agreement between the governments of Lebanon and Israel had been due to expire on Sunday. While the truce has led to a significant reduction in hostilities since coming into force on 16 April, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire in the south, where Israeli forces remain in a self-declared buffer zone extending five to ten kilometres into Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said it was "essential to point out that the ceasefire is meaningless in light of Israel's insistence on hostile acts, including assassinations, shelling, and gunfire" and its demolition of villages and towns in the south. "Every Israeli attack gives the resistance the right to a proportionate response," he added. Hezbollah is not a party to the ceasefire agreement and has strongly objected to Lebanon's direct contacts with Israel.
Strikes and warnings on the ground
Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli airstrike killed two people in the southern village of Touline on Friday. Hezbollah confirmed it shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone using a surface-to-air missile, a claim the Israeli military also acknowledged. An Israeli drone was heard circling above Beirut throughout the day, according to Reuters reporters on the ground.
The Israeli military issued a warning to residents of the southern town of Deir Aames to leave their homes immediately, citing planned action against what it described as "Hezbollah activities" in the area. It was the first such warning issued since the ceasefire came into force. Deir Aames lies north of the territory currently occupied by Israeli forces. Israel also said it intercepted a drone before it crossed into Israeli territory.
On Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed at least five people in the south, including a journalist.
Positions harden on the buffer zone
The 16 April agreement does not require Israeli troops to withdraw from the belt of southern Lebanese territory seized during the war. Israel's ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, said at Thursday's talks that "Lebanon should acknowledge the temporary presence of the IDF and the right of Israel to defend itself from a hostile force that is firing on the population." Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, Nada Moawad, called for the ceasefire to be fully respected, saying it would create the conditions for meaningful negotiations. Lebanon has said it aims to secure a full Israeli withdrawal in broader talks at a later stage.
Nearly 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon since hostilities reignited on 2 March, when Hezbollah opened fire in support of Iran in the regional war. Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians in Israel since then, while 15 Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon, according to Israeli figures.
Trump said on Thursday he looked forward to hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the near future, adding there was "a great chance" the two countries would reach a peace agreement this year.
Source: Reuters