Israeli forces launched overnight strikes across southern Lebanon on Thursday, killing at least 16 people according to Lebanese state media, while simultaneously publishing a new map that officially acknowledges an expanded military footprint deep into Lebanese territory — actions that directly challenge the terms of the recently signed US-Iran framework agreement.
Israel's military said the strikes, which continued throughout Thursday night, targeted "Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure sites" in several areas, including the town of Kfar Tebnit, where a drone strike hit a car. The Israeli army cited "repeated violations of the ceasefire" by Hezbollah, which is an Iran-backed armed group based in Lebanon, as justification. Hezbollah confirmed its fighters were engaged in fresh clashes with Israeli troops attempting to advance on the town, and said it had also deployed explosive drones that wounded Israeli soldiers. The new map published by Israel shows its forces operating several kilometres further north than previously acknowledged, reaching areas near Nabatieh, one of Hezbollah's main strongholds — a significant expansion from a version released in April. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israeli troops will remain in a "security zone" in southern Lebanon "for as long as Israel's security needs require it."
The military activity puts Israel in open tension with the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which explicitly calls for a halt to fighting "on all fronts, including in Lebanon" and requires that all parties uphold Lebanon's "territorial integrity and sovereignty." President Donald Trump said the US expected "a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel," and urged all parties in the region to allow negotiations to "beautifully unfold." Vice President JD Vance, in a sharp rebuke aimed at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, said Trump was "the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time." A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israel is conducting "difficult negotiations" with the Trump administration to retain control of the occupied zone.
The diplomatic picture was further complicated when planned US-Iran technical talks in Switzerland were cancelled. Switzerland's foreign ministry confirmed the talks, due on Friday, were called off, and Vance postponed his trip to Bern. Iran's Tasnim news agency said "nothing has been confirmed" about its delegation's travel, while a White House spokesperson said Washington looked forward to resuming technical talks "as soon as possible." The cancellation cast uncertainty over the 60-day implementation window, which Vance said began Thursday and would set a deadline of 17 August for a final agreement.
On the ground, Lebanese civilians returning to cities such as Tyre and Nabatieh found streets lined with rubble, the smell of death hanging over collapsed buildings, and fighting still audible on the hills above. More than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon and at least 3,900 killed since the conflict escalated, according to Lebanese officials. Many returnees expressed deep skepticism about the durability of the new agreement. "Until I get back to my home, I won't be convinced of anything," said Mohammed Ashmar, a displaced man from the border village of Deir Seryan. Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, said the group remained committed to a ceasefire "provided that Israel adheres to it fully and comprehensively" — a formulation that underscored how fragile the current situation remains. The next round of US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon is scheduled for the following week in Washington.