Even on the 10th (local time), a day before follow-up talks on a cease-fire between the United States and Iran, armed clashes continued between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned militia in Lebanon.
U.S. President Donald Trump was reported to have asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from a major attack on Lebanon, but Israel did not stop its airstrikes. As cease-fire talks gain momentum, the Lebanese front is wobbling, adding to the burden on Washington's mediation plans.
According to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA), the Israeli military on this day bombed Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain in southern Lebanon, destroying several ambulances and fire trucks. Israel has claimed that Hezbollah has been using relief vehicles to transport weapons. Southern Lebanon's Altayri and Saghmar in the eastern Bekaa region were also reportedly bombed the same day. The exact scale of casualties has not yet been confirmed.
Hezbollah immediately hit back. The group said in a statement that it fired missiles at Israel's Ashdod naval base. It argued the move was a response to Israel's recent strike on Beirut and its unilateral violation of the cease-fire agreement. Both sides are repeatedly invoking the other's breaches to justify military action.
The latest clashes are emerging as another source of instability as the United States manages a cease-fire phase with Iran. President Trump is seeking to keep Israel's military actions within bounds to prevent a wider Middle East war, but Israel is prioritizing efforts to block Hezbollah's rearmament and is maintaining an offensive posture. Some say Washington now bears three tasks at once: negotiations with Iran, Israel's security, and Lebanon's stability.
Israel and Lebanon are set to hold direct talks in the United States next week to discuss Hezbollah's disarmament, but the outlook is dim. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned the Lebanese government not to make unilateral concessions to Israel. Within Lebanon, differences remain over whether a cease-fire should come first or talks on disarmament should take precedence.
The Lebanese government is focused first on halting hostilities and reducing civilian casualties, while Israel says weakening Hezbollah's military capabilities is necessary to ensure long-term security along the border. Because of this gap, some observers say that even with U.S. mediation, a meaningful agreement is unlikely in the short term.
In the end, there is growing concern that even if U.S.-Iran talks proceed, the Lebanese front could remain a separate powder keg. With airstrikes and retaliatory attacks preceding the start of cease-fire discussions, some analysts say the first test of easing Middle East tensions is instead playing out between Israel and Hezbollah.