Israel launched air strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, targeting what it said was Hezbollah infrastructure, as efforts continued to negotiate an end to the US-Iran war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strike was carried out in response to Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. In a joint statement, they said the military “has just struck Hezbollah terror targets” in Dahiyeh in response to Hezbollah “firing at Israeli territory”.“Israel will not tolerate fire directed at its territory,” the statement read, as cited by Al Jazeera.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said Hezbollah had launched three projectiles towards northern Israel. The strike on Beirut's southern suburbs came a week after Israel carried out a similar attack, marking another escalation despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 7.
The current phase of the conflict began after Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel on March 2, two days after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, Israeli forces have expanded their military operations deeper into Lebanese territory. The developments come as the United States and Iran move closer to a potential agreement aimed at ending the conflict. Iran has sought to include the fighting in Lebanon within the scope of any ceasefire arrangement and has also pushed for the release of frozen assets as part of the discussions.
Qatari mediators travelled to Tehran on Sunday for talks aimed at finalising the proposed agreement, according to two regional officials familiar with the discussions. The officials said there was cautious optimism that Washington and Tehran were moving closer to a deal that could halt the conflict and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the agreement would be signed on Sunday, while Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said it could be announced in the coming days. Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately after the signing. The agreement is expected to be signed electronically rather than through an in-person ceremony, although the timing and process have not been publicly detailed.
