• Israel bombs southern Lebanon, killing at least one person, just a day after signing a framework agreement with the Lebanese government to end hostilities.
• Hezbollah‘s leader, Naim Qassem, has rejected the agreement with Israel, describing it as “humiliating”, “shameful”, and “a surrender of sovereignty”.
• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has asked Trump to help prevent Israeli violations and pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanon’s south.

Israel’s Ben-Gvir says Lebanon deal gives Hezbollah a ‘lifeline’

The far-right national security minister has again slammed the framework agreement with Lebanon as a “historic mistake, a terrible missed opportunity, and a lament for generations”.

In a post on X, Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel must “crush”, not “anaesthetise,” Hezbollah.

He said the deal gives Hezbollah the “lifeline it has begged for in the form of a ceasefire”, and he dismissed claims that the Lebanese army can dismantle the armed group to guarantee the country’s security as a “dangerous illusion”.

“The Lebanese army is weak and infiltrated. Hezbollah members and their supporters are an integral part of this army’s ranks. They have not prevented the buildup of Hezbollah for decades, and nothing will change now,” he said.

Ben-Gvir said he opposed the deal for weeks in the Israeli cabinet before it was signed, and that he would continue to do so.

Netanyahu says deal with Lebanon ‘a massive blow to Iran’

Netanyahu’s comments, when he described the framework agreement with Lebanon as a “historic accomplishment”.

• “Under these understandings, the US and Lebanon have recognised Israel’s right to maintain the security zone inside Lebanon for as long as it is required for our security. We will continue to hold it until Hezbollah and the rest of the terrorist organisations are disarmed, and until no further threat to Israel is posed from Lebanon.
• “This is a massive blow to Iran and Hezbollah. Iran tried to force a withdrawal from southern Lebanon upon us… I stood firm on our vital interests and forcefully opposed the notion of forcing a withdrawal upon us.
• “Lebanon, Israel, and the US are essentially saying to Iran: ‘This is none of your business. You have no status here. You have no involvement and no role.’
• “Israel and Lebanon have agreed on two adjacent areas near the Yellow Line, recommended by the [Israeli military], where there will be a pilot program for disarming Hezbollah and transferring the territory to the control of the Lebanese army.
• “We are breaking the Iranian axis of terror, but we are also breaking the Iranian diplomatic axis.”

The used term in that framework, prompts the question to where "redeployment", as that is not defined in the document. Then, how to achieve when there is a stalemate between the invaders and Hezbollah, who was dragged in the war on Iran.

The Israelis were constantly saying that they are not going to leave often without adding why they refuse to leave or by saying "until there is no threat." Hezbollah is constantly saying that it will not let itself disarmed, and that the Israelis must leave.

So, if you have these stances as a stalemate then what is the framework for? It is at least not for a "ceasefire" as Israeli attacks in Lebanon have not stopped.

Then, the framework is written in a ambiguous language. This means that it was written in a way  that very clear serves Netanyahu not Lebanon. His statement reveals that the Lebanese government was put under pressure. This resembles the "ceasefire agreement" in Lebanon from 2006, which Beirut was also forced to sign under pressure.

Netanyahu's statement  reveals that the Lebanese delegation accepted the legalization of of a renewed occupation of the country. That occupation will certainly last for years to come as long as the Israelis uphold the stalemate because it was Netanyahu who dragged Hezbollah in the resumption of  his preemptive 12-day war on #Iran from June 2025.

By assassinating Khamenei while knowing that Hezbollah would respond, Netanyahu spilled over his war on Iran into Lebanon.

The framework is entirely obsolete and a falsification of how the region is dragged into a turmoil

Lebanon divided over framework agreement signed in Washington

Residents in southern Lebanon’s Tyre and the capital, Beirut, expressed sharply different reactions on Saturday after an initial framework agreement was signed between Israel and Lebanon following US-mediated talks in Washington, DC.

Netanyahu says Lebanon deal recognizes Israel’s right to occupy southern areas

The Israeli prime minister has presented the framework agreement – reached in Washington – with Lebanon to the Israeli public as a historic political and security achievement.

And that’s not just because the agreement, in his opinion, delinks the Iran track in the MoU between Iran and Washington with the Lebanese track.

But, according to Netanyahu, it’s historic because it has secured US and Lebanese recognition of Israel’s right to continue occupying southern Lebanon until all those verifiable benchmarks that appear in the 14 articles of the agreement are achieved – and all of them are requested from the Lebanese government, rather than jointly from the Lebanese side and the Israeli side.

This agreement, in its totality, really gives Israel the ability to stay indefinitely, or at least for a very long time, in southern Lebanon.

There will be those pilot zones. But already, the Israeli minister of defence has instructed the army to prepare for a prolonged presence in southern Lebanon, aware of the fact that this will be very beneficial for Netanyahu – for the ruling coalition – in the coming weeks. Because that red line of withdrawal has now not been crossed, and, in fact, the continued presence of Israeli forces has been secured.

Netanyahu is delusional because the term "phased verifiable redeployment" as written in paragraph 3 of the framework, does not acknowledge the legitimacy but an undesirable presence of the Israelis in Southern Lebanon.

He thinks that the occupation, created by himself after spilling over the resumption of his preemptive 12-day war on Iran war to Lebanon, as "recognized" because there is no time frame for "redeployment" added to that paragraph.

Then "redeployment" means moving from a current location/position to another  location/position but the latter can also mean anywhere in Lebanon. This is clear ambiguity.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government demand withdrawal.

So, why is the framework containing "redeployment" not withdrawal, and with no time frame.?

Because the Israelis have been systematically saying that they will not leave Lebanon and are saying that they will stay "as long as necessary."

Netanyahu says ‘no room for two states’ between Jordan River and the sea

More about Netanyahu’s comments about the framework agreement with Lebanon.

During the same news conference, he also ruled out the possibility of a Palestinian state if he returns to power in the upcoming elections in Israel.

“Another principle of the government, of the broad national government that I intend to lead, is that there is no room for two states. Between the sea and the Jordan River, there is no room for two states,” he said.

“Now, you ask me, three years ago, before the war, the public was divided on this issue. Although I believe that most of the public was opposed, a significant portion supported it. I think that has changed. This is now a basis for agreement.”

Will Israel-Lebanon deal actually lead to Hezbollah disarmament?

The new framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon does not specifically call for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

Instead, it ties any Israeli military withdrawal to the disarmament of Hezbollah – a condition repeatedly rejected by the Lebanese armed group.

Tahani Mustafa, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Middle East and North Africa program, said Israel and the US would “definitely use the fact that Hezbollah refuses to disarm and capitulate to blame Hezbollah for derailing the entire process”.

Mustafa also said that Israel has demonstrated “it is acting in bad faith, which really gives no confidence to Hezbollah to disarm or capitulate in the way that is being demanded”.

"... Israel and the US would “definitely use the fact that Hezbollah refuses to disarm and capitulate to blame Hezbollah for derailing the entire process."

See previous comments

Israel claims it targeted Hezbollah fighters in attack on southern Lebanon

The Israeli military has released a statement claiming the attack in Nabatieh yesterday.

It said it was targeting Hezbollah fighters and that it killed an unspecified number of them.

It also claimed to have destroyed a rocket launcher in the same area.

The deadly attacks came just a day after Israel signed a framework agreement with the Lebanese government to end hostilities.

Israelis skeptical of deal with Lebanon

In northern Israel, many people doubt the agreement will change the reality on the ground and say they want the Israeli military to continue occupying parts of southern Lebanon.

“I am sceptical that Hezbollah will be disarmed,” said Amir Raz, who was visiting Metula, a town in the far north of Israel near the border with Lebanon. “We should keep it [the territory Israel is occupying in Lebanon] as long as we need to keep it, or maybe as long as we will be allowed to keep it,” he told The Associated Press.

Ronit Belson, who was also visiting Metula, said that success depends on whether the Lebanese military can be empowered.

“If it’s just the Lebanese military will get into these areas, the Israeli military will pull out,” he said. “Personally, I don’t think it will be lasting, because… the Lebanese military cannot really stand a chance against Hezbollah.”

Israel says it kills several people in Syria

Israel’s military says its soldiers have “eliminated several armed terrorists” in occupied areas of southern Syria.

It says it will continue to operate in the area “to remove any threats” to Israeli civilians and soldiers.

Israeli forces moved into a UN-created buffer zone in southern Syria, next to the occupied Golan Heights in December 2024, in violation of a ceasefire signed in 1973.

According to the UN, Israel now occupies an additional 235sq km (90sq miles) of Syrian territory.

Hezbollah rejects ‘humiliating’ Lebanon-Israel framework agreement

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has rejected a US-mediated framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, calling it “humiliating” and a surrender of sovereignty, as Israel signals it’s preparing for an extended stay in southern Lebanon.

Israeli politician accuses Netanyahu of dragging country to ‘historic low’

Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli army chief and leader of the opposition Yashar Party, has criticized Netanyahu’s performance and expressed support for an inquiry into decisions on Gaza and Lebanon.

“A prime minister who has blindly dragged the country to its lowest point in history, who works day and night to fuel division and incitement, who invests all his energy in encouraging draft dodging, is unworthy of this nation and certainly not fit to preach morals about unity,” Eisenkot wrote in a post on X.

The politician, whose popularity is surging as Israel prepares for elections, said Netanyahu had “continued to lie about Gaza and Lebanon” at his press conference earlier.

Iran’s Araghchi urges US to push Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says all aspects of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the United States must be honored, including the clauses on Lebanon.

“Regrettably, the Zionist entity continues its air strikes on Lebanon,” Araghchi said in Baghdad, adding that the MoU was also accepted by Israel.

Washington “should live up to its responsibility and force” Israel to end its attacks on Lebanon to end the war, he said.

Araghchi also called on Washington to push Israel to withdraw from the areas it has been occupying in Lebanon. “This was the first clause of the MoU,” he noted.

Israeli attacks damage ancient sites across southern Lebanon

Israel’s nearly four-month air and ground campaign has damaged or destroyed revered heritage sites across southern Lebanon, Culture Minister Ghassan Salame says.

Despite a ceasefire that took hold a week ago, authorities have yet to establish the full picture of the destruction as Israeli troops occupy a zone about 10km (6.2 miles) deep into Lebanon that is off-limits to Lebanese, Salame said.

“We cannot work under the shadow of occupation. There are villages that have been completely bulldozed,” he said.

That occupation zone includes the medieval Beaufort Castle as well as centuries-old villages that were home to Christians, Shia and Sunni Muslims and their places of worship.

Even ancient towns outside the occupation zone have been pummeled with air strikes, including Tyre and Nabatieh. Heavy bombing hit the town of Tebnin, prompting fears that its Crusader fortress had also been damaged, Salame said.

“Heritage is not only Roman and Phoenician antiquities. Heritage is also historic buildings, archaeological sites and buildings with a cultural function.”

Hezbollah lawmaker warns of ‘internal conflict’ in Lebanon after deal with Israel

A member of Lebanon’s parliament has condemned the framework deal between Israel and Lebanon, calling it an “agreement of humiliation and disgrace”.

Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc, said the framework would lead to “internal conflict” and predicted it would never be implemented.

The deal signed in Washington, DC describes a “sequenced process” that will see the Lebanese army restore “effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups” – a clear reference to Hezbollah.

The Iran-backed group did not take part in the months-long US-mediated negotiations between Israel and Lebanon that led to the signing of the framework. On Saturday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem rejected the agreement, calling it “humiliating, shameful and a surrender of sovereignty”.

Israeli foreign minister repeats ‘peace with Lebanon’ requires Hezbollah disarmament

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has reiterated Israel’s insistence that Hezbollah must be disarmed in order for “peace and security” to be achieved in Lebanon, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 4,000 people since early March.

In a social media post marking his meeting with South Sudanese counterpart, James Pitia Morgan, in Jerusalem, Sa’ar said “Israel’s desire for peace with Lebanon as reflected in the framework agreement signed this weekend”.

But the deal signed by Israel and Lebanon describes a “sequenced process” that will see the Lebanese army restore “effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups” – a clear reference to Hezbollah, which declared the framework “null and void”.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday said he had instructed Israeli troops “to prepare for an extended stay” in southern Lebanon.

Israel’s army chief says ‘we will honor agreement’ with Lebanon

Israel’s army chief of staff has praised the deal with Lebanon.

“The agreement signed with the Lebanese government is historic and of great significance. The operational strength and military achievements recorded by the [army] in recent months are what laid the groundwork for this agreement,” General Eyal Zamir said in a statement.

“We will honor the agreement and work to ensure its success. The real test now is how both sides behave on the ground, and the coming period will determine the course of the next phase.”

Friday’s agreement describes a “sequenced process” that will see the Lebanese army restore “effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups” – a clear reference to Hezbollah, which has been fighting with Israel since October 2023 with varying levels of intensity.

Late 2024 to Early 2025: Immediately following the November 2024 ceasefire, Israel continued military operations, with the UN documenting over 7,500 airspace and 2,500 ground violations by November 2025.

Late 2025: The Lebanese government formally filed a complaint with the UN Security Council detailing 2,036 Israeli violations between October and December 2025 alone, citing persistent air strikes and restricted access to southern villages.

February 2026: The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) recorded 50 air strikes in a single month following the truce, marking one of the heaviest surges in Israeli military action up to that point.

April 2026: Following a US-brokered ten-day truce in mid-April, Lebanese researchers documented 220 Israeli ceasefire breaches within a single 48-hour window.

June 2026: Iranian officials reported that Israeli forces committed 84 ceasefire violations in a span of just two days leading up to mid-June.

Gaza

Total Violations (Oct 10, 2025 to Mid-June 2026): 3,269

April 2026 alone: 377 violations, resulting in 111 deaths and 376 injuries

"The operational strength and military achievements recorded by the [army] in recent months are what laid the groundwork for this agreement”

Since March 2, 2026:

• 26 villages and towns have been confirmed and mapped as severely damaged or entirely destroyed.
• 57  villages and towns have been confirmed and mapped as emptied by military force.
• 40 cases of destroying and damaging of cultural, religious and heritage sites and objects.
• 59 cases of resorting to terrorism in the act of war.
• 14 cases of using white phosphorus.
• 71 cases of targeting and killing medical personnel, and targeting and damaging ambulances and medical facilities documented
• 1.3 million people have been confirmed forced displaced.
• at least 4,247 people have been killed by the Israeli invader
• 12,195 wounded by the Israeli invader

Iran, Lebanon parliament speakers discuss ending war, Israeli withdrawal

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and his Lebanese counterpart Nabih Berri have discussed the latest developments in the Middle East.

Ghalibaf told Berri that Tehran is committed to ending Israel’s war on Lebanon, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

During their phone conversation, Ghalibaf said the first paragraph of the memorandum with the US addresses the end of hostilities in Lebanon and the preservation of its territorial integrity. He said Iran is “seriously pursuing” the removal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

Berri acknowledged Iran’s efforts in Switzerland as being in the interests of the Lebanese people, but accused Washington of attempting to sidestep the issue of Lebanon’s sovereignty. He described US dealings with Israel as a “conspiracy and sedition”.

Both stressed the need for the newly formed “deconfliction” unit to meet urgently to address Israel’s ongoing invasion of Lebanon, Tasnim reported.

Death toll in Lebanon from Israeli attacks rises

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least 4,247 people have been killed and 12,195 wounded by Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, when fighting resumed.

Israeli troops advance deeper into Deraa province in Syria

Israeli forces have set up new checkpoints in Deraa province in southern Syria and advanced deeper into the area with military vehicles, the Syrian state news agency SANA is reporting.

Israeli troops established a second checkpoint near the village of Sreyeh Jamlah in the western countryside of Deraa, 200 meters from another checkpoint installed yesterday.

At least five Israeli military vehicles moved into the village of Abidin, also in the western countryside of Deraa, where forces set up two checkpoints in the village and searched passers-by.