Israel strikes southern Lebanon after US-mediated talks in Rome
Israeli forces have launched fresh artillery strikes in southern Lebanon, targeting areas in the Nabatieh governorate despite recent US-brokered talks between Beirut and Tel Aviv aimed at ending the occupying regime’s attacks and securing a phased Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported on Sunday that several locations around the towns of Mayfadoun, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Doha Kfar Rumman came under fire, with the Ali al-Taher hill near Nabatieh al-Fawqa also targeted.
NNA said the shelling was intermittent and reported a powerful explosion in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The latest escalation also coincided with increased Israeli aerial activity over parts of Lebanon. Israeli aircraft were reported over the Bekaa Valley and Mount Lebanon, while drones were observed over the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The strikes came only days after the seventh round of US-brokered negotiations between Lebanon and Israel concluded in Rome without any breakthrough, marked by Israeli forces unleashing their most intense artillery barrage on southern Lebanon since the signing of a controversial framework agreement in June.
While negotiators talked, Israeli forces intensified their assault on southern Lebanon.
On Wednesday alone, Israeli forces fired 113 projectiles into southern Lebanon, with 77 of them striking the town of al-Mansuri and surrounding areas. On Thursday, the bombardment increased to 120 projectiles in just 16 hours.
Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement on June 26, mediated by the United States, which outlines a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied territories in Lebanon, starting with a pilot model in two zones that have not been publicly revealed.
The agreement does not establish a timeline for the withdrawal, tying its completion to the Lebanese army taking full security responsibility in the areas that have been evacuated and the disarmament of armed groups, specifically referring to Hezbollah.
Despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts, Israel has continued carrying out attacks in Lebanon.
The continued attacks have cast uncertainty over efforts to implement the framework, with Lebanese authorities reporting thousands of deaths and injuries and large-scale displacement since the start of the latest Israeli campaign.
According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks have killed 4,335 people, wounded over 12,250 others and displaced more than 1 million people since March 2.
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