Israel Halts Fire in Lebanon but Maintains Military Positions

Details

• Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military has officially halted firing operations in Lebanon following direct instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

• The military directive states that Israeli forces will not withdraw from any area or position captured during the ground operation in southern Lebanon.

• Hezbollah said it had documented more than 300 Israeli violations and attacks since the ceasefire began, resulting in more than 111 deaths and 176 injuries.

• The group said the violations no longer constitute simple breaches of the ceasefire agreement but amount to “open aggression and a direct continuation of the war.”

• Hezbollah called on the United States and the international community to exert pressure on Israel to implement the agreements and halt its attacks.

• The group reaffirmed Lebanon’s right to defend its land and sovereignty, stressing that ending the Israeli presence on Lebanese territory is “only a matter of time.”

• Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said Israeli airstrikes and shelling on Friday killed 83 people and wounded 141 others across the country.

• The halt in firing followed a large-scale military campaign that included around 70 airstrikes and 18 drone strikes targeting multiple towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

• The Lebanese Army announced that one of its soldiers was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Kfar Roummane–Nabatieh road, saying continued attacks undermine efforts to restore stability.

• An Israeli strike on Qanaarit in the Saida district killed nine civilians and wounded 22 others, most of them women and children.

• In Sohmor in the western Bekaa, four members of the same family were killed in an Israeli strike, while Civil Defense teams recovered 16 bodies from several locations in the Nabatieh district.

• Hezbollah said its fighters repelled an Israeli infiltration attempt toward the Ali al-Taher heights and targeted Merkava tanks with guided missiles.

• The Israeli military said its operations were launched in response to more than 50 projectiles allegedly fired at its forces, a claim Hezbollah rejected while insisting it remains committed to the ceasefire.

What to watch

Despite the announcement of a halt in firing, Israel’s decision to maintain its military positions and the continued exchange of accusations raise doubts about the durability of the ceasefire and increase the risk of renewed escalation.