• Israel claims to have killed another Hezbollah fighter in southern Lebanon
• Israeli media report that the withdrawal of troops from two “pilot zones” in Zawthar and Froun has been delayed, pending an agreement on a US oversight mechanism.

Lebanon’s fragile ‘ceasefire’ – Three months later

While officials describe the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel as a roadmap towards ending hostilities, critics question whether Lebanon traded accountability for a ceasefire.

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Ghalibaf says US, Iran have appointed envoys to Lebanon ‘de-confliction’ cell

• Ghalibaf says that “Iran and Oman have already reached agreement on all legal and service-related matters” on the administration of maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz.
• He said negotiations with the US will not progress until five clauses of the MoU are implemented, including a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, securing Iranian oil exports and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
• He noted that Iran, the US and Lebanon have agreed to establish a “de-confliction cell” and that Tehran and Washington have now appointed representatives. Beirut is expected to do the same before the cell becomes operational.
• He also argued that the Iran-US MoU seeks to preserve Lebanon’s independence, while the separate US-brokered framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel seeks to guarantee Israeli security.

Democratic lawmaker says US ‘should not spend another cent’ on Israel’s genocide

Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American member of Congress, says she will back a bill to block some $3.3bn in military aid to Israel, ahead of a vote set to take place later this week.

“We should not spend another cent arming a military that is committing genocide in Palestine, ethnically cleansing Lebanon, and committing war crimes in Iran,” she wrote on X.

“A majority of Americans and a supermajority of Democrats support ending military aid to Israel. It’s time their representatives listened.”

Other Democratic lawmakers who have said they would vote in favour of the bill include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Greg Casar and Ilhan Omar.

The bill was proposed by Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie, who opposes US interventions abroad, including the war on Iran. The Kentucky lawmaker has angered Trump and lost his Republican House primary election in May to a challenger backed by the US president.

The race was the most expensive primary for the US House in history.

US, Gulf allies sanction Hezbollah-linked financial institutions

The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TTFC), a joint US and Gulf initiative, has sanctioned parts of Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure, including 16 individuals and five entities.

The US Department of Treasury said the targets include Al-Qard al-Hassan, Bayt al-Mal, as well as their senior leaders.

Al-Qard al-Hassan is a nonprofit financial institution that offers interest-free loans to people and is one of the many charity organisations run by Hezbollah, including schools, hospitals and low-price grocery stores.

The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center was established in May 2017 during the first Trump presidency and includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Democrats split over cutting $3.3bn in aid to Israel

About the upcoming vote in the US House of Representatives on a bill to cut $3.3bn in funding for Israel.

According to The Hill, a US news outlet, Democratic leaders have urged members to vote with their conscience following a “fraught” caucus meeting on the issue. Congressman Bennie Thompson expressed shock at the conversions about Israel, telling The Hill: “I’ve been around a long time, I’ve never seen it.”

The amendment is expected to fail, according to The Hill, with Republicans unlikely to back the measure and Democrats split on it.

Progressive Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, have expressed support while centrist Democrats have opposed it.

Greg Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told US outlet Jewish Insider that he opposed the measure, saying, “I don’t want Israel to be without what they need.”

Adam Smith, the ranking democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, also told the Jewish Insider he opposed the measure because it would cut “humanitarian aid, military aid – all aid for Israel”.

Voting on the measure is expected this week, according to Tlaib.

Evolution under fire: Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ in a post-war era

The MoU between the US and Iran has halted more than three months of direct warfare.

The agreement, which includes lifting a US naval blockade and establishing a $300bn reconstruction fund for Iran, has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape.

The MoU represents a strategic setback for Washington’s initial war aims, effectively abandoning the goal of regime change. The framework also signals a potential end to Israeli ambitions of uncontested regional hegemony, with the US implicitly recognizing Iran as a legitimate regional power.

However, this prolonged conflict has imposed a severe stress test on Iran’s “axis of resistance” – the regional network of pro-Iranian allied forces, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis and armed groups in Iraq.

‘Right to bear arms a Lebanese matter and a necessity’: Official

The head of Lebanon’s Finance and Budget Committee, Ibrahim Kanaan, has met President Joseph Aoun to discuss the ceasefire with Israel signed in Washington, DC, and the next course of action for the government.

“The state’s right to bear arms is a Lebanese matter and a necessity for the protection of Lebanon, particularly in the aftermath of the war,” the Lebanese Presidency quoted Kanaan as saying in a post on X.

“After the meeting my conviction and commitment to the goals of the president of the republic grew even stronger, foremost among them the full liberation of the land in accordance with international borders, the return of the displaced, and then reconstruction.”

The post quoted him as adding: “National unity is the foundation – undermining it today will only reinforce division and occupation and bring about the destruction of the homeland.”

Lebanon seems to be sticking point’ in Doha US-Iran talks

At least three sets of working groups are in Doha. They’re working on a number of issues including the issue of Lebanon, so it’s a complicated layer-cake of diplomacy that needs to be discussed, because the Iranians have said they won’t move forward unless the MoU is respected. Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon seems to be a sticking point.
 

Israel’s ‘expansionist policy’ is chaos for the Middle East: Turkey

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara says Turkey has discussed with allies at every opportunity possible measures to stop Israel from its military push throughout the region.

“[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s expansionist policy is one that supports chaos, instability, war, tears, destruction, and genocide in the region,” said Fidan.

The rhetoric between the two sides has heated up over Israel’s military invasions of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Lebanon deal tests US push for regional calm

Lebanon has become central to Washington’s broader effort to calm tensions in the Middle East and bring the conflict with Iran to an end.

Following the trilateral agreement signed by Israel, Lebanon and the US, the focus now is on commitments from all three sides.

The deal was not easy to reach. It took five rounds of negotiations, with the border, Hezbollah’s disarmament and Israel’s demand for security guarantees among the biggest sticking points.

Israel wants assurances that Hezbollah will not be able to re-establish any military presence along Lebanon’s border.

For the US, the challenge is making sure the so-called “pilot zones” can be implemented, while ensuring Israel lives up to its commitments and prevents further escalation.

Whether it’s US-Iran talks or Israel-Lebanon tensions, the issue now comes down to implementation – and whether these agreements can hold.

Death toll from Israeli attacks across Lebanon rises

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says that at least 4,297 people have been killed and 12,196 others wounded in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2.

Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut have persisted despite a ceasefire in place since April 16.

Lebanese president defends Lebanon-Israel framework agreement

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has pushed back against critics of the Lebanon-Israel framework signed last week in Washington, emphasizing the text is “not an agreement”.

“Lebanon’s problem is with Israel, and it is a sovereign state that decided to negotiate on its own behalf,” Lebanon’s National News Agency quoted the president as saying. “It has not relinquished its legal, political, or field principles in the framework agreement, as some are claiming.”

Speaking to delegations from the Lebanese bar association and economic bodies, the president warned that “discord is forbidden” and discouraged people from “[taking] to the streets”.

The framework does not force Israel to withdraw from the large area of southern Lebanon that it continues to occupy, instead referencing a “sequenced process” contingent on the disarmament of Hezbollah.

"It has not relinquished its legal principles"

It has as the government had not the constitional mandate to engage in direct talks with the Israelis, its enemy.

Israel says troops to remain in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza ‘until further notice’

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israeli forces will remain in “security zones” established in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “until further notice”.

Troops are occupying these areas “to protect Israel’s residents and communities from jihadist terrorists”, said Katz, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

“We will not withdraw from the security zones,” Katz said at a function held in honor of Israeli soldiers killed during the 2006 war in Lebanon.

Katz also reiterated an earlier warning to Iran, saying it would be struck with “full force” if it attacks Israel over its ongoing invasion of southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly ruled out withdrawing troops from Lebanon, where Israeli forces continue to clash with Hezbollah fighters. They maintain any troop withdrawal would happen only after Hezbollah is disarmed.

Israel has also carried out repeated incursions and bombings in Syria since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. In Gaza, Israeli forces occupy nearly 70 percent of the territory.

UNIFIL says peacekeepers facing ‘restrictions to their freedom of movement’ in Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says its peacekeepers will remain at their posts to support efforts at maintaining stability in the country’s south.

“UNIFIL peacekeepers remain on the ground, monitoring the situation and reporting observed violations in line with our mandate under Security Council resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said in a message on Telegram.

The resolution demands a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, establishes a demilitarized buffer zone between the Israel-Lebanon border and the Litani River, and requires the disarmament of all armed groups operating in Lebanon.

The peacekeepers’ mission has been impeded by “restrictions to their freedom of movement, including blocked routes due to barriers, debris, and other obstacles temporarily [halting] essential patrols and safety operations”, continued the statement.

“Despite these challenges, our peacekeepers stay in position and remain committed to supporting stability in southern Lebanon,” concluded the message.

CENTCOM leads security meeting with reps from 12 countries in Bahrain

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has led a “security dialogue” alongside Bahrain’s defense forces with military officials from across the Middle East.

Representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen discussed “enhancing defence collaboration across the region”, CENTCOM said in a post on X.

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the discussions “underscored our shared commitment to regional security and stability”.

Israel is killing the US-Iran MoU by staying in Lebanon

During a visit to troops in southern Lebanon on June 30th, Netanyahu declared that the military “will not leave” the area as long as the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah remains a “threat” to his nation.

A day earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also said Israel’s military will not withdraw “a millimeter” until Hezbollah is disarmed.

But the Israeli stance is squarely at odds with the first clause of the US-Iran MoU, which provides for an immediate, permanent halt to fighting on “all fronts”, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces have occupied approximately one-fifth of the country since early March.

That provision has since been undercut by a separate US-brokered framework agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, which doesn’t require Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon or halt attacks.

The result has been an entrenchment of Israel’s military presence in Lebanon.

"...as long as the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah remains a 'threat' ..."

The Israelis have been a threat to Lebanon since they started using the country's airspace in 2013 for attacks in Syria. Then, he spilled over his resumption of the preemptive 12-day war on Iran to Lebanon by assassinating the Iranian leader Supreme Leader Khamenei, while knowing that Hezbollah would respond. So, Netanyahu brought the threat to Lebanon. This is clear the politics of always blame the victim.

Families displaced as Israel flattens southern Lebanon villages

Israel has completely razed the area of Naqoura, one of many towns and villages in southern Lebanon that the Israeli military has made completely uninhabitable.

For thousands who are from towns or villages now razed to the ground, the future is unclear. The pain of having lost their homes is devastating, but experts expect an even greater psychological burden should these people eventually return to their villages.

“When a village is flattened, and even the landmarks around it are gone, people lose more than their homes. They lose the markers that told them where they belonged, and that’s part of why we’re seeing such deep distress, including in people who have never struggled with their mental health before,” Basma Alloush of the International Rescue Committee said.

Several explosions heard in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has detonated a large explosion near the town of Rashaf, in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district, reports Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).

“A bombing was also reported in Beit Yahoun”, also situated in Bint Jbeil, said NNA.

Israeli opposition signal foreign policy change in style, but not substance

Leading figures from the Israeli opposition have used the country’s prestigious Herzliya Conference to lay out their policy agendas, but analysts and observers noted that their foreign policy positions differ little from those of Netanyahu’s governing far-right coalition.

None of the three main opposition figures – former military Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, and former Prime Ministers Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett – offered attendees at Reichman University on Wednesday much criticism of Israel’s recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

In other words: no change in Netanyahu's wars to be expected after the upcoming Israeli election in October.

Lebanese FM says US-brokered framework is the only path to full Israeli withdrawal

Lebanon’s foreign minister has defended the country’s framework agreement with Israel, which was signed in Washington, DC, last week.

Youssef Raggi said the framework is the only path to ensuring Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon.

“The negotiations launched by the Lebanese state have no alternative and no parallel track. They are the only path to securing a full Israeli withdrawal and reaching a lasting agreement that ensures stability while safeguarding Lebanon’s rights, sovereignty, and national interests.”

Israel occupies about 6 percent of the country following its invasion in mid-March, which was launched in response to attacks carried out by the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The framework has drawn sharp criticism across Lebanon’s political spectrum. Critics argue it benefits Israel at Beirut’s expense.

During a visit to troops in southern Lebanon on June 30th, Netanyahu declared that the military “will not leave” the area as long as the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah remains a “threat” to his "nation."

Then, the framework is written in a ambiguous language. It doesn't include a time frame of the Israeli withdrawal. That is why Netanyahu could make that statement.

Iran’s red lines challenge US negotiators, but not insurmountable

Gordon Gray, a former US diplomat, said that Qatar’s statement that said the US-Iran talks are making “positive progress” suggests both sides are engaging seriously.

“Well, ‘positive progress’ is a lot better than saying there were ‘frank and candid exchanges’, which is diplomatic speak for: the talks went terribly,” Gray said.

“I take that as a good sign.”

But Gray added that the indirect nature of the talks is not an “encouraging sign”.

He continues to say that some of Iran’s red lines would pose significant challenges for US negotiators, while others would likely be acceptable to Washington, or have long been established Iranian positions.

Then he said that Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz, where it seeks to retain control, would be a “non-starter” for the US and would violate international law.

However, he added that there could be creative workarounds on the issue, and Oman, which sits on the other side of the strait, was in a position to assist.

“It is going to be much more difficult for the United States not to agree to make progress on the Lebanon file,” he said. “That being said, for President Trump, it is of secondary importance, and so I don’t think it would hold up an agreement.”

Iran’s right to enrich uranium, another major sticking point, is not a new position. It has been a red line for Tehran dating back to the shah, Gray said.

“For the United States, it is not the right to enrich; it is the level of enrichment that is allowed – the inspection regimes.”