Bloody escalation in Nabatieh as Netanyahu retracts ceasefire understandings with Lebanon

The Nabatieh governorate in southern Lebanon witnessed a new wave of bloody military escalation, as the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced the martyrdom of five citizens, including a woman and a paramedic, due to an Israeli airstrike that targeted the area this Friday evening. These raids come amid intensified occupation operations that have affected various towns, leading to injuries and severe material damage to properties and infrastructure.

In field details, the death toll from the raid that targeted the town of Marwahiniyah rose to three martyrs, following the announcement of the death of municipal member Hussein Hashem due to his serious injuries. Hashem was injured in a targeting operation carried out by an Israeli drone in the town square, an attack that initially led to the martyrdom of two other people before Hashem joined them this evening.

Attacks did not stop there, as Israeli warplanes launched two consecutive raids on the town of Deir al-Zahrani, part of the Nabatieh governorate, causing a state of panic among local residents. These field developments coincide with the continued intensive overflights of reconnaissance and drone aircraft in the skies of southern Lebanon, portending additional rounds of shelling.

On the political front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dropped a surprise by disavowing the understandings recently announced by Washington, confirming during a meeting of the ministerial cabinet (the 'Kabinett') that there is currently no actual agreement with Lebanon. Netanyahu clarified that the ceasefire draft has not been fully formulated and its pillars have not yet been completed, indicating that his country does not consider itself bound by any non-final understandings.

Netanyahu attributed the stalled agreement to what he described as Hezbollah's opposition to the proposed conditions, considering that this rejection makes the agreement non-existent from the Israeli point of view. He also stressed the importance of coordination with US President Donald Trump, describing him as a strategic partner with whom discussions must be allowed to continue to reach a formula that serves Israeli security interests.

For his part, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir briefed the ministers on military readiness, confirming that the armed forces are prepared to expand the scope of fighting in Lebanon if the political level decides to do so. Zamir called for a clear definition of the next phase's path, noting that reaching an agreement on Tel Aviv's terms today is better than reaching it later with the same terms after additional attrition.

Israel adheres to a set of strict conditions for approving any calm, foremost among them the disarmament of Hezbollah in the area extending from the border to the Litani River. Tel Aviv also demands the retention of a security strip under its direct control, and ensuring what it calls 'freedom of military movement' within Lebanese territory to confront any immediate threats that may arise in the future.

In contrast, the Lebanese response came through Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who confirmed in an official statement that Hezbollah is ready to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire and withdrawal from border areas. Berri stipulated that this withdrawal must be parallel to a full Israeli withdrawal from all territories occupied by occupation forces during recent operations, rejecting any formula that grants Israel security superiority or military presence.

In the past few days, cautious optimism had emerged after the US State Department announced initial understandings that included the deployment of the Lebanese army in 'experimental areas' in the south to be the sole controlling force there. However, this proposal faced significant obstacles with Hezbollah's insistence on a full Israeli withdrawal and its rejection of any foreign supervisory role that infringes on Lebanese sovereignty or changes the previous rules of engagement.

These successive developments indicate a wide gap between Israeli demands and Lebanese conditions, putting international mediation efforts at risk. With continued airstrikes and civilian casualties, the field remains the primary driver of events, amid continuous Israeli threats to escalate military operations if its security conditions in the south are not met.

There is currently no agreement with Lebanon for a ceasefire, and the final formula has not yet been completed due to Hezbollah's opposition.