In brief
A brief ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah collapsed when Israeli troops fired on a bulldozer clearing rubble near Nabatieh al-Fawqa, killing two men linked to the Islamic Health Association. Hezbollah denounced the shooting as a violation of the truce, and Israel said the men posed a threat. The incident comes after a week of intense fighting across Lebanon. American officials are calling for strengthened diplomatic pressure to prevent further escalation.
Israeli forces reportedly shot dead two men in southern Lebanon, breaking a short lull in fighting that had been maintained since the ceasefire announcement on Sunday.
The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed the casualties were Mohammed Amhaz and Sajed al-Hajj Ali, who were on a bulldozer clearing rubble near Nabatieh al-Fawqa when Israeli soldiers opened fire. They were also part of a team from the Islamic Health Association, an emergency service linked to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah’s military wing condemned the shooting as a blatant violation of the ceasefire, while Israel’s military said the men were “Hezbollah terrorists” on a bulldozer and motorcycle that had entered the Israeli security zone and ignored warning shots.
In additional escalation, Israeli troops struck a “cell of armed terrorists” north of the security zone, though no immediate casualties were reported. The incident arrives amid a backdrop of intense earlier fighting that saw the Israeli military launch over 150 air strikes on Hezbollah targets.
U.S. officials in Washington have urged stronger diplomatic leverage against Israel to enforce the ceasefire and prevent further violence. Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva also warned that violations could derail broader diplomatic progress with the agreement signed with the U.S. last week.
The ceasefire, which has held since Sunday, was reached after weeks of renewed hostilities that began in early March when Hezbollah fired rockets in response to an Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Israeli attacks have killed thousands and displaced millions in Lebanon, while Israel has suffered casualties on both sides.
