Lebanon hit by Israel again despite signing peace deal

• Israeli defence minister warns Iran against ‘undermining’ Lebanon agreement • Hezbollah rejects framework pact, says it should be replaced by Islamabad MoU JERUSALEM / WASHINGTON: Israe­­li forces carried out drone and air strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, a day after both countries signed a US-brokered trilateral framework for peace. According to the National News Agency (NNA), Israeli warplanes hit an unidentified target in Nabatieh al-Fawqa at around 6: 30pm (1530 GMT). The Lebanese health ministry said the strike killed at least one person and wounded two more. Earlier in the day, drones carried out four strikes on the town square and the Al-Manzala neighbourhood. The Israeli military claims it targeted suspected Hezbollah members in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon. An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that the strike targeted “suspected terrorists who posed a threat to IDF soldiers” in the Nabatieh area. ‘Great force’ The Israeli defence minister vowed on Saturday to respond with “great force” if Iran attacked Israel in an attempt to “prevent” the implementation of an agreement with Lebanon aimed at securing peace between the two countries. “If Iran tries to attack Israel to prevent the implementation of the agreement, we will act against it with great force, ” Israel Katz said in a video statement. He added that the agreement with Lebanon had dealt a “strategic blow to the Iranian axis”. He also said Israeli forces had been ordered to prepare for an extended stay in the so-called security zone in southern Lebanon. “The prime minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare for an extended stay in the security zone, ” Katz said, referring to an area up to 10 kilometres inside the Lebanese territory. Hezbollah rejects deal Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem condemned the US-Israel-Lebanon framework agreement, saying it a major mistake by Beirut and that his group deemed it null and void. “The framework agreement in Wash­ington is humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty. This agreement is null and void, and the provisions of the Iranian-American [Islamabad] memorandum of und­erstanding must be implemented, ” Qas­sem said in a statement, accusing Leba­nese authorities of “legitimising” Israeli occupation through this “grave blunder”. He said it should be replaced by the Iran-US memorandum of understanding. The agreement, signed in Washington on Friday after five rounds of talks, includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers take control of two areas currently occupied by Israel, along with a broader process aimed at disarming Hezbollah. It establishes a framework for the Lebanese Armed Forces to restore “sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory”, pending the “verified disarmament of non-state armed groups”, particularly Hezbollah. Once the disarmament process is verified, the Isr­aeli Defence Forces would “progressi­v­e­ly redeploy out of the Lebanese territory”. On the other hand, global leaders have praised the signing of the trilateral framework agreement. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the US-Israel-Leba­non framework agreement as a “critical step” away from conflict in the Middle East. “This is a critical step away from escalation. Because there can be no peace in the Middle East with Lebanon in flames, ” she said in a statement posted on X, thanking Washington for its mediation role. “Key next steps are the disarmament of non-state groups and preserving Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, ” she stressed. She added that “the EU stands ready to support this path to lasting regional stability, also with the continued delivery of much needed humanitarian aid with EUR100 million mobilised for the displaced”. Germany, the UAE, Italy and Jordan also hailed the deal. Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2026

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