İsrail's Attacks in Southern Lübnan Continue Despite Ceasefire

The İsrail army continues its operations and attacks in southern Lübnan uninterruptedly, despite the ongoing ceasefire agreement. According to information conveyed by the Lübnan official news agency NNA, İsrail-owned unmanned aerial vehicles dropped four consecutive sound bombs on the Haddasa town in the Nebatiye region. During the same period, İsrail artillery units heavily shelled the Beyt Yahun town, while detonation operations were carried out in the Konin town. In the villages located west of Sur city and under İsrail occupation, armored vehicles were deployed. These armored units escalated tension in the region by deliberately and intensely firing machine guns at the forested areas along the roadside.

Another indicator of the rising military and strategic tension in the region is the developments detected on Ali Tahir Hill, which has a fully commanding position over the Nebatiye city. In the morning hours, the İsrail flag was seen hanging on this strategic hill, a situation that revealed the extent of the de facto occupation in the region. In this hillside area documented by Anadolu Ajansı, no military personnel or military vehicles were encountered aside from the hanging of the flag. However, Ali Tahir Hill is considered one of the most critical and important points in the region because it overlooks the Nebatiye city in southern Lübnan from a high vantage point. This hill also holds high military value as it provides the opportunity to monitor a vast geography and transportation routes both north and south of the Litani River.

The İsrail army's current attacks in the region are an extension of the comprehensive and intense air operations it launched on 2 Mart. On 2 Mart, İsrail launched intense airstrikes against Lübnan and de facto occupied many towns in the south of the country. According to statements made by the Lübnan government during this comprehensive military operation, the number of civilians displaced by the conflict and occupation has exceeded 1 million. This dramatic figure clearly reveals the massive scale of the humanitarian crisis and evacuations occurring in the region. The latest data presented by the Lübnan Sağlık Bakanlığı confirms that the number of deaths from the attacks İsrail has continued since 2 Mart has reached 4 bin 319.

The diplomatic struggle carried out to smooth the sharp edges between the two countries and ensure regional peace is following a highly complex course. In his statement on 24 Nisan, ABD President Donald Trump announced that the ten-day temporary ceasefire that went into effect between Lübnan and İsrail on 17 Nisan was extended for three more weeks. Following this, the third round of negotiations held on 14-15 Mayıs under ABD mediation led to the decision to extend the ceasefire for forty-five more days as of 17 Mayıs. These steps were considered significant diplomatic initiatives taken toward permanently stopping the conflicts and ensuring stability in the region. However, this massive gap between the military realities on the ground and the diplomatic agreements at the table creates serious question marks regarding the implementability of the agreements.

A multi-dimensional diplomatic traffic, involving international actors, continues to be pursued to end the war and find diplomatic solutions. On 14 Haziran, İran and ABD took a historic step as part of the negotiation process facilitated by Pakistan's mediation role. As a result of this process, the parties announced that they accepted a fourteen-point agreement stipulating the immediate halt of the war and the resolution of their disputes entirely through negotiations rather than armed conflict. This comprehensive agreement requires the ongoing war to be ended within Lübnan as well. On the other hand, following the fifth round of direct negotiations held in Washington, a framework agreement was signed between Lübnan and İsrail on 26 Haziran, once again bringing up the goals of reducing regional tension.