Israel and Hezbollah agree ceasefire, US says, as more Lebanon strikes reported
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- The US-announced Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire took effect at 16:00 local time but was immediately contradicted by Israeli air strikes that killed 47 people in southern Lebanon's Nabatieh district — including women and children — and wounded 97, with rescue officials reporting at least 12 strikes after the ceasefire began.
- Hezbollah ambushed Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, killing four soldiers including a battalion commander and destroying three tanks with guided missiles, a provocation that drew Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's response: "Lebanon must burn... For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, 1,000 Lebanese mothers must weep."
- Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin said forces would "continue to remove immediate threats" and respond to Hezbollah violations despite the ceasefire, while the Israeli military separately confirmed a ceasefire was in effect.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of wanting "permanent war" and insisted any breach of the memorandum of understanding "will be attributed to the US," sharpening Tehran's argument that Washington has failed to restrain its ally.
- Donald Trump publicly accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of senselessly killing civilians in the fight against Hezbollah — an unprecedented rebuke of a close ally that the article frames as evidence Trump is "not necessarily in control" of his broader deal with Iran.
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a "comprehensive ceasefire" ending Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory was required for Washington talks to progress; the US State Department confirmed direct Lebanon-Israel talks would resume in Washington next week.
- The cumulative toll of the war includes more than 3,900 killed and 11,600 wounded in Lebanon, roughly one million people displaced, and dozens of southern communities completely destroyed, according to Lebanon's health ministry.
Why it matters: A ceasefire meant to anchor Trump's broader US-Iran deal is collapsing within hours of being announced, with 47 killed in southern Lebanon after the clock struck 16:00. Iran is now formally blaming Washington for Israeli violations, Hezbollah has demonstrated it can still kill Israeli troops, and Trump's public break with Netanyahu signals the diplomatic framework he touted may lack the buy-in it requires to hold.
