By Emmanuel Bobby
Fresh violence erupted between Israel and Hezbollah on Tuesday after the Israeli military launched new strikes in Lebanon, intensifying fears that efforts to calm regional tensions may be unraveling despite public claims of a de-escalation agreement brokered through diplomatic channels.
The renewed attacks came only hours after President Donald Trump announced that both Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to halt hostilities following growing international pressure and concerns that escalating violence in Lebanon could derail broader negotiations involving Iran and the United States.
Trump said Monday evening that he had spoken with both sides and secured commitments aimed at reducing military activity after Tehran reportedly warned that Israel’s increasingly aggressive operations in Lebanon risked jeopardizing diplomatic talks intended to ease tensions surrounding the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.
According to Trump, both sides had indicated a willingness to reduce hostilities, raising hopes that a fragile pause in fighting could prevent another dangerous escalation in the Middle East. However, military activity resumed within hours, raising questions about whether any ceasefire arrangement had truly taken hold.
Deadly Strikes Continue in Southern Lebanon
Despite public discussions of restraint, fighting persisted Tuesday morning as Israeli airstrikes targeted areas in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Civil Defense reported that at least six people were killed following an Israeli strike late Monday in the southern village of Marwaniyeh. Officials said emergency crews responded to the aftermath of the attack, though the precise timing and sequence of events surrounding the strike remained unclear.
Additional damage was reported in Nabatieh, where Lebanese authorities said one of the country’s civil defense centers sustained direct damage after what officials described as a hostile Israeli airstrike.
The emergency agency stated that the facility suffered structural destruction and that equipment used in rescue operations was damaged, raising concerns about the impact of military operations on civilian emergency infrastructure.
Later Tuesday, the Lebanese army announced that two of its soldiers had been wounded after an Israeli drone strike allegedly targeted military personnel in Nabatieh, further heightening tensions between the two neighboring countries.
Israeli military officials acknowledged carrying out at least one operation in the Nabatieh area but maintained that the strikes were directed at Hezbollah infrastructure and military targets rather than civilian sites.
Israel Reports Overnight Attacks From Lebanon
Earlier in the day, Israel said it intercepted at least two projectiles fired overnight from Lebanese territory into Israel.
According to the Israeli military, the projectiles crossed into Israeli airspace but caused no reported injuries or major damage.
Israeli officials later said warning sirens sounded in northern Israel after security forces detected what they described as a “suspicious aerial target” near areas where Israeli troops were operating inside southern Lebanon.
The exchange of attacks underscored how volatile conditions remain despite diplomatic attempts to reduce tensions.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of continuing hostile activity near the border, while Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have repeatedly accused Israel of escalating violence through airstrikes and military incursions.
Trump Pushes for Calm After High-Level Calls
President Trump said Monday that he personally intervened to reduce tensions through direct diplomatic engagement.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump described a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “very productive” and said assurances had been made that Israeli troops would not advance toward Beirut.
Trump claimed that “no troops” would enter the Lebanese capital and suggested that any military units moving in that direction had already been redirected or withdrawn.
Reports later surfaced describing a reportedly tense exchange between Trump and Netanyahu. Axios, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trump sharply criticized Netanyahu during an emotionally charged phone call and allegedly urged restraint amid concerns that further escalation could undermine wider diplomatic efforts.
Neither the White House nor Netanyahu’s office immediately issued detailed responses regarding those reports.
The discussions followed comments from Netanyahu indicating that Israel had ordered strikes against what he described as terror-related targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs after Hezbollah attacks on Israeli territory.
Those statements fueled panic in parts of Lebanon, particularly in Beirut, where residents reportedly rushed to leave neighborhoods amid fears of expanded military strikes.
Thousands of Lebanese civilians displaced by earlier fighting in southern Lebanon had already sought refuge in the capital, increasing fears of a humanitarian crisis if violence expanded.
Netanyahu later warned publicly that Israel would continue to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks persisted.
Hezbollah and Lebanon Signal Support for Temporary Halt
The Lebanese Embassy in Washington said Hezbollah had agreed to terms outlined in a U.S.-supported proposal calling for a “mutual cessation of attacks.”
According to Lebanese officials, the proposed arrangement would require both sides to stop military operations while also preventing Israeli strikes on Beirut.
The threat of direct attacks on the capital had caused widespread anxiety following Israel’s deepest military advance into Lebanon in more than two decades.
Trump later claimed that Hezbollah had also agreed to stop firing, stating that Israel and Hezbollah had both accepted terms preventing additional attacks.
The comments attracted attention because Hezbollah is designated by the United States as a terrorist organization, making any communication involving an American president politically and diplomatically sensitive. Trump suggested the conversations may have occurred directly or indirectly through intermediaries.
Iran Threatens to Walk Away From Negotiations
The escalation in Lebanon has also complicated efforts to preserve negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Iran signaled Monday that it could suspend diplomatic engagement with the United States if Israeli military operations in Lebanon continued.
Iranian state-linked media reported that Tehran’s negotiating team planned to halt discussions and pause exchanges of diplomatic proposals through mediators in response to Israel’s stated intention to target Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reportedly warned Lebanese officials that continued Israeli attacks could trigger broader consequences.
According to Iranian state media, Ghalibaf said Tehran had spent recent days attempting to stop Israeli military actions and warned that continued strikes could not only disrupt negotiations but potentially provoke a stronger Iranian response.
He reportedly added that any agreement to end the war involving Iran and the United States would likely require military calm across regional fronts, particularly Lebanon.
Trump later said he had not been informed in advance of Iran’s decision to suspend negotiations but dismissed concerns that diplomacy had collapsed entirely.
In a brief phone conversation with reporters, Trump suggested Tehran’s position might be a negotiating tactic while maintaining that diplomatic engagement remained ongoing.
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, Trump insisted that talks with Iran were continuing rapidly despite rising uncertainty and renewed violence across the region.
As military exchanges persist and diplomatic efforts remain fragile, fears continue to grow that renewed clashes in Lebanon could ignite a broader regional conflict while simultaneously undermining already delicate negotiations involving Israel, Hezbollah, Iran and the United States.
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