Persistent fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is threatening a tentative deal reached between the United States and Iran to end their war.
Their memorandum of understanding includes a ceasefire in Lebanon that would protect Iran’s long-time ally Hezbollah from Israeli strikes, so long as it doesn’t fire at Israel.
The fighting has already led to the postponement of US-Iran talks that would begin the difficult process of resolving long-term issues like Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions.
Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite Islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East, has engaged in conflict with Israel for decades, after establishing itself as a force in Lebanon in the 1980s.
Israel has launched frequent campaigns against Hezbollah, most notably in 2006, when a Hezbollah cross-border raid and the capture of two Israeli soldiers provoked an extensive Israeli air and ground operation that lasted more than a month.
In October 2023, it began cross-border rocket fire after Israel began bombarding Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack on southern Israel. A year of combat ensued, during which Israel killed Hezbollah’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
In November 2024, Israel approved a ceasefire deal that required it to withdraw from southern Lebanon. But Israeli forces continued to hold positions beyond the deadline and carried out near-daily strikes, alleging Hezbollah violations of the deal.
A new cycle of violence began after Israel and the US killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an airstrike in late February.
In early March, Hezbollah began firing at northern Israel in response to its strikes on Iran.
More than 3,900 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the military escalation, the health ministry says.
The first paragraph of the 14-point memorandum of understanding shows the end of hostilities in Lebanon as paramount to the agreement.
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