Israeli strikes hit Lebanon hours after US-Iran deal
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- Israel carried out drone strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, including one in Beit Yahoun that injured two people and another at the Kfartebnit–Arnoun roundabout that killed one person and critically wounded another, per Lebanese media and the National News Agency.
- The memorandum of understanding signed in France late Wednesday explicitly commits both sides to "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," meaning the strikes would violate the deal's terms.
- Netanyahu has refused to commit to withdrawing Israeli troops from southern Lebanon; a senior Israeli official told Reuters Israel "would not back down on positions, including keeping troops deployed south of Lebanon's Litani River."
- Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed around 3,800 people, including hundreds of children, since March 2.
- Trump called Netanyahu "a very good man" and "amazing prime minister" at a Wednesday press conference but said "we have a little dispute over Lebanon," urging him to use a "softer touch."
- Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said the MOU would be "nullified" without a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to military attacks, placing responsibility on the US to "force" Israel to comply.
Why it matters: Iran has explicitly threatened to void the MOU if Israeli strikes continue, setting up a direct collision between Netanyahu's refusal to withdraw and Trump's deal. If the US cannot compel Israel to halt operations in Lebanon, the framework for ending the war launched in late February unravels before negotiations even advance.
