Beirut: Israeli drone strikes across southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed 11 people, including a dentist and his two children, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. The deaths came a day after US President Donald Trump said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to reduce hostilities, even as fighting intensified on the ground, AP reported.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, launched dozens of drones and projectiles toward Israeli soldiers and cities in recent days while Israeli airstrikes killed dozens in Lebanon, including women and children. Hezbollah carried out no attacks on Israel after Trump’s announcement.
Talks Resume As Violence Escalates
New indirect talks between Israel and Lebanon began on Tuesday in Washington, with Lebanese negotiators seeking a full ceasefire to prevent future attacks. These discussions, started in April, are the first formal negotiations between the two countries in over 30 years, though Hezbollah refuses direct talks and relies on Iran’s pressure.
Despite a nominal ceasefire that began in April and Trump’s public statement, clashes have worsened displacement for Lebanon’s conflict-weary population. The unrest also blocks progress in broader US–Israeli negotiations with Iran over regional de-escalation, as Tehran insists any deal must end fighting in Lebanon too. Two semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that Iran cut off contact with ceasefire mediators on Tuesday.
Israel Threatens Beirut After Ground Incursion
Israeli ground troops recently made their deepest push into Lebanon in 26 years, after which Israel threatened to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs, triggering panic and mass flight from the capital. President Trump said Monday he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with Hezbollah through mediators, adding that no troops would be “going to Beirut.” Yet attacks continued unabated.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday Israel had previously held back from attacking Beirut out of respect for U.S.–Iran negotiations. But he added that Netanyahu told Trump in a late-Monday call that Israel will strike Beirut’s southern suburbs if Hezbollah keeps targeting northern Israel, echoing the prime minister’s earlier warnings.
Lebanon’s top leaders insist negotiations must continue despite Beirut’s inability to stop strikes and pressure from over 1 million displaced people in harsh conditions. “Negotiations is the least costly option on Lebanon and the Lebanese people,” Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said. “It is the shortest road to the occupation and allow our people in the south to return to the cities and villages.”
Families & Soldiers Killed In Fresh Attacks
An Israeli drone struck a car between Marjayoun and Nabatiyeh, killing dentist James Karam from Qlayaa along with his son and daughter, NNA reported. The Israeli military said it was unaware of any strikes in that area.
Two Lebanese soldiers were lightly wounded when another drone targeted them. Drone strikes also killed two Syrians at a nursery in Jibchit, two people in Toul, and one person near Harouf. Two more airstrikes killed three others.
NNA reported an airstrike in Marwaniyeh killed six Abdullah family members: Hassan, his wife Hanan, and children Ali, Ibrahim, Leen, and Julia. A third son survived and is being treated.
Hezbollah said its fighters fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli troops near Hadatha, 7 kilometers from the border. Sirens sounded in northern Israel; the military spotted “a suspicious aerial target” but reported no injuries.
The fighting has killed 3,468 people in Lebanon and displaced over 1 million. Netanyahu’s office says at least 27 Israeli soldiers and a contractor died, plus two civilians in northern Israel. Israel reported a soldier killed and seven wounded, three severely. Hezbollah’s fiber-optic drones have proven deadly, leaving Israel struggling to respond.
