By Elsie Kamsiyochi
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continued to intensify on Monday despite the start of a newly extended U.S.-backed ceasefire, highlighting the fragile state of diplomacy in one of the Middle East’s most volatile conflicts. Fresh Israeli airstrikes struck several locations in southern Lebanon while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for new attacks on Israeli military positions, raising doubts about whether ongoing negotiations can contain the violence.
The renewed hostilities come as a 45-day ceasefire extension officially took effect at midnight following a third round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials. The extension was intended to reduce tensions and create space for diplomacy, but violence on the ground has continued almost uninterrupted, particularly in southern Lebanon where clashes remain concentrated.
The conflict, which intensified after the broader U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran, has persisted since U.S. President Donald Trump first announced a ceasefire on April 16. Although the truce slowed some fighting, exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement have continued, keeping border communities on both sides under threat.
According to Lebanese security officials and the country’s state news agency, Israeli warplanes launched multiple strikes across southern Lebanon on Monday. At the same time, Hezbollah announced a series of operations targeting Israeli troops, including an explosive drone attack aimed at an Iron Dome air defense position in the Galilee region of northern Israel.
Overnight, one of the most significant Israeli strikes reportedly hit near the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbeck, killing Wael Mahmoud Abd al-Halim, a commander linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, which maintains close ties with Hezbollah. Lebanese security sources said his daughter was also killed in the attack. The Israeli military confirmed targeting Halim, stating it had taken measures to minimize civilian casualties, though it did not mention reports of his daughter’s death.
Hezbollah later claimed additional attacks against Israeli military forces operating in southern Lebanon. Israel’s military acknowledged that projectiles and an explosive drone crossed into Israeli territory, targeting troops stationed near the border.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli strikes hitting more than six locations across southern Lebanon. Israeli officials said they could not immediately verify those reports without precise coordinates but confirmed that over 30 Hezbollah-linked targets had been struck during the previous 24 hours. The Israeli military also issued evacuation warnings to residents in three southern Lebanese villages, signaling preparations for further military operations.
The latest violence underscores how difficult it has become to enforce peace even after repeated diplomatic efforts. U.S.-led negotiations have been closely linked to wider regional diplomacy involving Iran, which has reportedly pushed for an end to Israel’s campaign in Lebanon as part of broader discussions tied to the regional conflict. Hezbollah, however, has openly opposed direct Lebanese engagement with Israel, complicating mediation efforts.
As the fighting drags on, the humanitarian toll continues to grow. Lebanon’s health ministry announced that the death toll since the war erupted on March 2 has climbed to nearly 3,000 people. Officials said the casualties include hundreds of women, children, and healthcare workers, though the figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Sources familiar with Hezbollah’s internal casualty estimates have suggested that thousands of Hezbollah fighters may also have been killed during the conflict, although the group has strongly denied such reports. On the Israeli side, authorities say at least 18 soldiers have died during military operations or Hezbollah attacks since March, alongside a defense ministry contractor and two civilians killed in northern Israel.
Israeli troops continue to maintain positions inside a self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon, where entire villages have reportedly been heavily damaged or destroyed. Israel says these operations are necessary to prevent Hezbollah fighters from launching attacks against northern Israeli communities, accusing the militant group of operating from civilian-populated areas.
Despite diplomatic progress on paper, the continued exchange of strikes and retaliatory attacks suggests that the ceasefire remains highly unstable. With regional tensions involving Iran still unresolved and Hezbollah maintaining military pressure, fears are growing that the conflict could expand further unless negotiations begin producing concrete results on the ground.
Source Reuters
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