US Claims Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Agreed, Yet Lebanon Continues to Be Bombarded

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire on Friday (19/06), according to an American official. The announcement followed a barrage of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon that killed 47 people. The latest deal was reached amid concerns that ongoing clashes, including a Hezbollah attack that killed four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, could undermine the agreement to end the war between the US and Iran.

The Israeli military confirmed that a ceasefire had been implemented. However, shortly afterwards, a spokesman asserted that its forces would “continue to move to eliminate immediate threats”. Hezbollah itself has yet to provide official confirmation regarding the ceasefire. Nevertheless, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stated that “the plan to eliminate Hezbollah has failed”.

Search and rescue teams in the city of Nabatieh told the BBC that at least 12 airstrikes occurred after the ceasefire was declared to be in effect at 16:00 local time. This deadly escalation serves as a strong signal that Donald Trump does not fully control the fate of the deal he initiated with Iran. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) actually stipulates a ceasefire in Lebanon, as well as between the US and Iran. However, the reality on the ground tells the opposite story. This situation prompted Tehran to accuse Trump of failing to rein in his close ally, Israel.

Trump himself inflamed the situation through a series of accusations he levelled at his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump claimed Netanyahu had slaughtered civilians without common sense in his effort to fight Hezbollah. The renewed tension that erupted overnight in southern Lebanon further complicates the problem. While the White House insists that a ceasefire is underway, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, responded to the deaths of the Israeli soldiers with a harsh statement. “Lebanon must be burned… For every tear of an Israeli mother, 1,000 Lebanese mothers must cry,” he wrote.

Responding to this, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of wanting “eternal war”. He stressed that any violation of the commitments set out in the memorandum of understanding “will be held as the responsibility of the US”. Trump’s agreement relies heavily on each party’s ability to restrain their hardline factions and demonstrate self-control, something currently judged to be almost invisible on the ground. Netanyahu continues to face domestic pressure to continue military operations against Hezbollah. On the other side, the Iranian-backed group insists it will continue launching attacks as long as Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon persists.

Following the latest ceasefire announcement, Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin asserted that Israel will “continue to eliminate existing threats, respond to every Hezbollah violation, and do whatever is necessary to protect our civilians”. On Friday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared that “the plan to eliminate Hezbollah has failed, and Israeli forces will withdraw from every inch of our land”. Fierce fighting erupted again when Hezbollah claimed to have ambushed a column of Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. They destroyed three tanks using guided missiles and pounded enemy forces with rockets and artillery. A battalion commander was among the four Israeli soldiers killed.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes killed 47 people, including women and children, and wounded 97 others. In the Nabatieh area, casualties were spread across several locations. Nine people were killed in Harouf, seven in Haboush, and six in al-Duweir, including one child. Lebanon’s official news agency previously described the mass bombardment across the Nabatieh region on Thursday as one of the most intense attacks of the entire war.

News of the ceasefire was met with scepticism by displaced Lebanese citizens. They doubt Israel will comply with the peace agreement. “The agreement is good, and we all want peace. But Israel never complies,” a man told Reuters. “How many times have they made agreements? More than once, and they never commit.” The US State Department stated that direct talks between the Lebanese government and Israel will be held again in Washington next week, with the goal of achieving “lasting peace”. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a “comprehensive ceasefire” to end “Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory” is essential for the Washington negotiations to bear fruit, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

Lebanon was dragged into the vortex of war between Israel, the US, and Iran shortly after the conflict erupted. Hezbollah began showering Israel with rockets in retaliation for an attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Israel retaliated by launching a massive bombing campaign across Lebanon and occupying approximately 5% of the territory in the south. This move aims to push Hezbollah fighters back from Israel’s northern border. More than 3,900 people have been killed, including women and children, and over 11,600 others injured since the latest conflict broke out, according to Lebanese Health Ministry data. To date, around one million people remain displaced in shelters, while dozens of settlements in the southern region have been completely razed to the ground.