Israeli Strikes Kill 18 in Lebanon
File photo: REUTERS
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people and wounded 33 others in southern Lebanon on Thursday, stalling critical “technical” talks in Switzerland between the United States and Iran.
Despite the fragile ceasefire framework, the Israeli military hit targets across the region, while Hezbollah reported intense fighting on the ground.
Hezbollah fighters claimed they repelled a four-day Israeli offensive toward Kfar Tebnit using drones, rockets, and artillery.
The conflict intensified after Israel released a map of its “Yellow Line” positions, extending 10km into Lebanese territory and into maritime zones containing the Qana gas project. Legal experts warn this occupation would violate the 2022 US-brokered maritime agreement.
Prime Minister Netanyahu faces mounting pressure from his Likud party. Politician Moshe Saada told Reuters, “Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to tell Trump ‘enough’.”
Saada argued that withdrawing poses an existential threat to Israel and demanded strikes with maximum force and with no proportionality.
US President Donald Trump pushed for restraint, stating he expects a complete ceasefire on all fronts. “We encourage everyone in the Middle East region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold,” Trump wrote on social media.
Simultaneously, the US Treasury Department sanctioned multiple officials and business networks across Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Oman for allegedly financing Hezbollah and obstructing the peace process.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, the war has killed at least 3,912 people and displaced over one million since 2 March.
Source: Al Jazeera (adapted)
