Lead:
A new round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations is scheduled for June 23 to address demarcation of deployment zones and border arrangements, even as Israeli airstrikes and artillery bombardments continue to strike towns across southern Lebanon. The disconnect between advancing diplomacy and ongoing military operations has deepened uncertainty over whether any framework agreement can hold, drawing responses from Lebanese, American, and Iranian officials.
Details:
Al-Markazia reports that Israeli forces have continued striking populated areas across the Nabatieh district, including the towns of Kfartebnit, Kfarseir, Jibsheet, Shokin, Toul, and Jabal al-Rafie, despite the entry into force of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding intended to halt hostilities on all fronts, including the Lebanese front. Al-Addiyar separately confirmed that an initial toll of 18 killed and 33 wounded was recorded from overnight strikes alone, with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health placing cumulative casualties since the start of the Israeli offensive at 3,980 killed and 12,001 wounded.
Al-Markazia further reports that the Israeli military published a map delineating areas of its troop deployment in southern Lebanon, prompting questions about the practical effect of the US-Iran agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated publicly that Israeli forces would not withdraw from what he termed the "security strip" in southern Lebanon, a position that directly contradicts provisions of the Washington-Tehran accord. Al-Addiyar notes that the Lebanese Army has begun field reconnaissance operations in the towns of Dabin and Ballat in the Marjeyoun district.
On the diplomatic front, Al-Markazia reports that Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri issued a statement reaffirming Lebanon's commitment and Hezbollah's adherence to the ceasefire, conditional on reciprocal Israeli compliance. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, quoted by Al-Markazia, expressed skepticism that any provisions of the US-Iran agreement would be implemented within the stipulated sixty-day window, while also noting that US Ambassador Michel Issa contacted Berri directly, and that Abdallah Safieddine participated in the Iranian delegation's negotiations in his capacity as an Iranian official. Al-Addiyar reports that the Free Patriotic Movement issued a statement demanding consolidation of the ceasefire and a definitive end to Israeli occupation.
Al-Addiyar also reports that US Vice President JD Vance stated that on multiple occasions a diplomatic resolution appeared within reach before Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory disrupted progress, adding that Washington's ultimate objective is a Lebanese government capable of imposing security in the south without Hezbollah control. The US State Department, cited by both Al-Markazia and Al-Addiyar, described Hezbollah as "the single greatest obstacle to Lebanon's recovery."
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