IDF Strikes Southern Lebanon After Hezbollah Violates Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Israel-Lebanon Talks

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an attack in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a ceasefire violation by Hezbollah. Prior to the strike, the IDF issued evacuation orders for the village of Al-Mansouri for the first time in weeks. Reports from Lebanon indicate that one person was killed and 12 injured in the village of Tabbaneh during the clashes.

A military source explained that Al-Mansouri lies within an IDF-controlled security zone where ongoing military activity poses risks to Lebanese civilians. The evacuation was conducted to protect their safety. The source also noted that civilians entered the area under the protection of the Lebanese army, which had established a checkpoint in the zone contrary to existing agreements.

These exchanges of fire coincided with a round of talks between Israel and Lebanon taking place in Rome since Tuesday. On Monday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Joseph Aoun was completely excluded from the negotiations due to his nationalist stance against Hezbollah. Aoun is viewed as one of the main opponents of Hezbollah within the Lebanese government. His Christian Lebanese Forces party, led by Samir Geagea, has expressed dissatisfaction with his exclusion.

Aoun was also omitted from Lebanese President Michel Aoun's recent visit to the United States, where the president met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. According to a Lebanese political source, President Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab are reluctant to antagonize Hezbollah and the Amal Movement led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, which explains sidelining Aoun, who is considered a red line for these groups.

The source warned that this development does not bode well, as it indicates that despite significant steps by Beirut’s leadership toward direct negotiations with Israel and against Hezbollah, they are not yet willing to fully commit. Meanwhile, the IDF continues operations against Hezbollah infrastructure, recently destroying a weapons facility near Al-Bouffour with 700 tons of explosives.