Ceasefire tested as Israeli troops kill two in southern Lebanon
Lebanese authorities identify victims as emergency workers, while Israel claims they were operatives in a security zone; Iran warns violations could derail broader peace efforts.
Israeli soldiers have shot dead two men in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, southern Lebanon, marking the first fatal incident since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to take hold. The Lebanese health ministry identified the victims as Mohammed Amhaz and Sajed al-Hajj Ali, who were part of an emergency service team working to unblock a road and recover bodies in the al-Deir neighbourhood.
Israel’s military stated that soldiers in the Ali al-Taher ridge area fired at four individuals riding a bulldozer and a motorcycle who crossed into a declared security zone and ignored warning shots. The army claimed the men were Hezbollah operatives, while Hezbollah’s military wing, the Islamic Resistance, condemned the shooting as a blatant violation of the ceasefire, though it did not specify whether it would retaliate.
The incident occurred as Lebanese and Israeli officials opened talks in Washington aimed at advancing a comprehensive peace and security agreement. The US State Department described the negotiations as critical for stabilising the region, with Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, warning that violations of the ceasefire framework risked derailing broader diplomatic progress linked to the wider US-Israeli war with Iran.
Tensions remain high in the area, with the Ali al-Taher ridge having been one of the most fiercely contested positions in the conflict. Prior to the ceasefire, Israeli ground forces attempted to seize the ridge, believing it housed an underground military fortress. The Israeli military also reported a separate incident where soldiers struck a cell of armed terrorists north of the security zone, releasing a photo of a man holding a rifle, though no casualties were immediately reported.
Since the current round of hostilities began on 2 March, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed at least 4,192 people according to the Lebanese health ministry, with more than 1.2 million displaced. Israeli authorities report that 36 soldiers and four civilians have been killed on both sides of the border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israeli troops retain full freedom of action against any Hezbollah threat and will remain in Lebanon as long as necessary.
