At least five people were killed as Israel launched fresh air strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, pushing a hastily brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to the brink of collapse and threatening to derail renewed US-Iran negotiations.
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA said Israeli warplanes and drones carried out a series of strikes across the Nabatieh area overnight and into Saturday morning, destroying several residential buildings and homes.
Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire on Friday, setting the stage for the revival of stalled negotiations between Tehran and Washington. On Saturday, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks seen as critical to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stabilising global oil supplies.
The negotiations follow a 14-point memorandum signed this week aimed at halting hostilities and opening a 60-day window to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The talks were initially scheduled to begin on Friday but were postponed amid continued hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. A ceasefire was eventually reached following efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
The agreement was brokered through mediation efforts involving the United States and Qatar, with reports suggesting that Iran also played a role in facilitating the deal.
Iran had reportedly threatened to withdraw from the Switzerland talks if Israel did not halt its attacks in Lebanon, prompting US President Donald Trump to personally intervene and urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire.
However, the fresh Israeli strikes have once again cast a shadow over the negotiations, with Iran maintaining that any final settlement will depend on a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
