One of the deadliest strikes was an attack on a three-story residential building in the town of Barish, in Tire district. A local official confirmed that a father, mother and their two children were killed in this attack.
The Lebanese army announced that one of their soldiers was also killed in the Israeli attack.
Israel claims it was responding to Hezbollah attacks, while the group said it would not allow Israel “freedom of movement” inside Lebanon.
Questionable fate of US-Iranian negotiations
An end to the fighting in Lebanon is a key condition for the start of 60-day talks between the US and Iran. The goal of these negotiations is to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and other issues that should lead to a more permanent agreement, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the stabilization of the global oil market. However, at this point it is not clear when those negotiations could even begin.
The interim agreement between the US and Iran, reached on Wednesday, obliges both countries and their allies to cease military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
However, Israel, which was left out of these negotiations, says it is not a signatory to the agreement and plans to keep its forces in the Lebanese territory it currently holds under occupation.
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported that Israeli warplanes and drones struck targets across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Saturday.
On the other hand, an Israeli army official said that Hezbollah fired more than 50 missiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon during the night, and that Israel retaliated with attacks on what they said were “Hezbollah targets.”
According to data from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, since March 2, Israeli attacks have killed 3,912 people, including medical workers, women and children.
Israel says that at least 32 Israeli soldiers and four civilians were killed in the clashes.
Uncertain prospects for achieving lasting peace
As fighting continues to rage, it remains unclear whether substantive talks between the US and Iran will begin soon that would turn the interim 14-point pact into a permanent deal and end the war the US and Israel launched on February 28.
American Vice President JD Vance this week canceled his planned trip to Switzerland, where he was supposed to participate in negotiations with Iran, precisely because of the escalation of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
The White House declined to confirm media reports about whether Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s envoy, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner still plan to meet with Iranian officials in Switzerland.
