Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon just two days after a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US was signed on Friday.
Lebanon's official news agency NNA reported a series of attacks in the south on Sunday. The Lebanese Health Ministry announced on Saturday that one person was killed in an Israeli attack. This was the first casualty recorded since the agreement was signed.
The Israeli army announced that it targeted Hezbollah members near a buffer zone in southern Lebanon. It also stated that one Israeli soldier was killed and another lightly wounded in the clashes. The slain soldier was identified as 21-year-old Captain David Hazutt, a platoon commander in the elite infantry Golani Brigade.
The Israeli Chief of Staff approved the continuation of operations in the region, saying they were consistent with the ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the agreement as "historic" and a "major blow to Iran and Hezbollah."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had cautiously described the agreement signed in Washington on Friday as "the beginning of the beginning." Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the agreement aimed at "Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territory."
However, the agreement text does not stipulate an unconditional Israeli withdrawal; it ties any withdrawal to Hezbollah's disarmament. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said in a statement on Saturday that Israeli forces are preparing for a long-term stay in the buffer zone and will remain there until Hezbollah lays down its arms.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the agreement in a statement on Saturday, calling it "humiliating" and a "surrender of sovereignty," and said his fighters would not leave the battlefield. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said any step by the Lebanese army to implement the agreement would drag the country into internal conflict.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also argued that the agreement gave Hezbollah a "lifeline," rejecting the idea that the Lebanese army could disarm the group. He stated that he had opposed the deal in the cabinet for weeks and would continue his opposition.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement on Sunday that Washington should force Israel to stop its attacks and withdraw from the areas it occupies in Lebanon. Araghchi referred to a separate agreement that he claimed is binding for both Israel and the US.
The war began on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's religious leader in US-Israeli attacks. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground operation. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, more than 4,000 people have died in Lebanon since then.
