Israel launches deadly strikes, shelling across southern Lebanon

The announcement of a new deal between the US and Iran to end months of fighting and blockades has elicited a sigh of relief in much of the Middle East.

Iran's Mehr news agency has republished what it said was the contents of the framework, set to be signed Friday.

According to Mehr, the agreement provides for a "permanent and immediate cessation of war on all fronts, including Lebanon ".

This aspect of the agreement has provoked a furious response from the Israeli government.

"Trump's agreement does not bind us... we are not party to this agreement. It does not safeguard our security," National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on his Telegram channel.

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He said that in Lebanon, Israel should settle for "nothing less" than the dismantling of the Hezbollah movement.

At the same time, Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Israeli forces would not be withdrawing from "security zones" that it had established in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.

Lebanon's Ministry of Health says Israeli attacks since 2 March across the country have killed at least 3,696 people and injured 11,413 others.

The end of the fighting in Lebanon had been a key sticking point for Iran in its negotations with the US and the refusal of Israel to withdraw from the territories it currently occupies could either prove fatal to the deal - or could lead to a historic split between Israel and the US.

"Only yesterday, Hezbollah attacked northern Israel, and Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon, including in Beirut's southern suburbs, while senior Israeli officials continue to insist, at least verbally, on maintaining freedom of action against perceived threats in Lebanon - separating Lebanon from any broader US-Iran understanding," said Issam Kaysi, a research analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

"Will the US now force a change in Israeli actions? The Israelis show no sign that they are willing to withdraw from southern Lebanon anytime soon. Will Hezbollah accept this?"

Israel-US tensions?

Since Trump was first elected president in 2016, the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has been a key pillar of Israeli strategy in the region.

Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, move the embassy and accept the country's annexation of the Golan Heights, has made the president a figure of admiration with streets in Israel and settlements in occupied Palestine even named after him.

The negotiations with Iran have put a strain on their relationship however.

On Sunday, Trump excoriated Netanyahu for launching attacks in Lebanon that threatened to derail the final agreement just hours before it was announced.

"He's a very difficult guy," Trump said of Netanyahu, "and to be honest with you, he should be very thankful to us for doing this. Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn't be around for two hours."

'Will Hezbollah continue to launch attacks into Israel, and will we continue to see Israeli military activity in Lebanon this week?'

- Issam Kaysi, Carnegie Middle East Center

Last week, in a phone call, the president reportedly told Netanyahu he was "fucking crazy" over his attacks on Lebanon.

Since Monday, Hezbollah has not claimed any fresh attacks on Israeli targets.

The Iran-backed group thanked Tehran on Monday for insisting on including Lebanon in the comprehensive agreement.

In a statement, the Lebanese movement said it was "deeply grateful" to its ally for its "consistent stand with Lebanon, its people, and its resistance, as well as for its insistence that Lebanon be a party to any agreement leading to a ceasefire."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday also expressed hope that the deal between Washington and Tehran would put a “definitive end” to the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

In a statement issued by his office, Aoun praised the memorandum’s affirmation that “Lebanon’s security and safety are an integral part of any effort to consolidate stability in the region”.

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Israel has been occupying southern Lebanon since mid-March, ostensibly in response to Hezbollah attacks, themselves prompted by Israel's attack on Iran.

The deal has reportedly prompted some displaced Lebanese civilians to begin returning to their homes in the south - despite little clarity over whether Israel would end its attacks and outright refusals to withdraw forces from the region.

Kaysi told Middle East Eye that any cessation of hostilities would inevitably lead back into discussions about the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of a monopoly on arms by the Lebanese army.

However, with the deal yet to be finalised, much was still speculation.

"As I write this to you, I can still hear the buzz of an Israeli drone in the skies of Beir…