Lead:
Israel carried out intensive airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley overnight Thursday into Friday, killing and wounding dozens of civilians, as Hezbollah accused Israel of systematically violating the ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington. Simultaneously, the United States Treasury imposed fresh sanctions on Lebanese officials and Hezbollah-linked networks, while the State Department announced the next round of Lebanese-Israeli talks would be held in Washington from June 23 to 25.
Details:
According to Al-Akhbar, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes that killed multiple civilians across southern Lebanon, with Hezbollah declaring it would not tolerate any Israeli attempt to seize additional territory or expand its occupation, while simultaneously asserting that the project to dismantle Hezbollah and entrench the Israeli occupation had failed. The Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed at least seven killed and thirteen wounded in a strike on the town of Qanarit in the Sidon district, while the Islamic Health Authority reported twenty-five killed and thirty-five wounded in the Nabatieh area.
Newsd reports that Hezbollah introduced a new weapon into the battlefield, after an unidentified projectile struck a Merkava 4 tank and caused Israeli military casualties — a development the Israeli army had not yet publicly acknowledged or characterized as of press time. Meanwhile, Israeli media cited by Al-Diyar reported that Hezbollah is now directly targeting Israeli military commanders, raising alarm within Israeli reserve officer ranks who are calling for withdrawal from Lebanon.
Regarding the political track, Al-Akhbar cited Member of Parliament Hassan Fadlallah warning that the Lebanese state must not grant Israel through diplomacy what it failed to achieve on the battlefield. The Israeli ambassador in Washington, as reported by Al-Nahar, stated that Israel has halted offensive operations and would respond with restraint if Hezbollah respects the ceasefire, while reaffirming that Israeli forces would remain in what it describes as a "security zone." Al-Nahar also reported that the Israeli army distributed for a second time a map delineating occupied areas south of the Litani River, framing any withdrawal as conditional.
Al-Diyar reported that Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to what it described as continued Israeli violations of the Lebanon ceasefire, a move that, if confirmed, would carry significant regional and economic implications. Separately, Axios cited a well-placed source confirming that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is planning to travel to Switzerland, describing the Lebanon ceasefire as a critical matter for Tehran, though the trip remains subject to change.
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