Fighting between Hezbollah and Israel rages on despite earlier proclamations of a truce in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is reportedly traveling to Switzerland for peace talks. DW has more.
Read here for the latest developments on the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Saturday, June 20.
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According to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Israeli forces used the Friday ceasefire to advance into strategic hills that overlook the the Lebanese city of Nabatieh.
“Again, under the cover of the ceasefire, the enemy last night carried out an infiltration attempt towards the Ali Taher hills,” the group said in a statement released on Saturday.
The Iran-backed Islamist faction said it engaged the Israeli troops.
Hezbollah restated its commitment to the ceasefire, but warned “it will not be lenient in confronting any enemy attempt…. to expand its occupation.”
The death toll in Lebanon kept mounting on Saturday, with the country’s civil defense agency reporting that16 people have been killed in the ongoing Israeli strikes on the Nabatieh district.
According to the agency, rescuers have been working “since the early morning hours” and 12 more wounded people were transported to the hospital.
The escalation comes after Israel and Hezbollah reportedly agreed to a ceasefire that was scheduled to go into effect on Friday afternoon.
Lebanon’s state-run NNA agency reported that seven people, including at least one soldier and two children, were killed as the clashes between Israel and Hezbollah continued on Saturday despite the truce announced on Friday. The NNA also reported Israeli airstrikes and explosions at different locations in southern Lebanon.
The persistent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah puts pressure on their respective allies, the US and Iran, as they pursue a peace framework for the Iran war. A similar flareup on Friday was enough to postpone scheduled talks between US Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian leaders in the Swiss Alps.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Israel foresees an end to the fighting in Lebanon and calls for respecting Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity. Israel and Hezbollah, however, are not parties to the deal.
Yesterday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said IDF forces will stay in Lebanon ”as long as necessary,” seemingly defying pressure from Tehran and its ally the US to wrap up the conflict. While the news of a ceasefire broke just hours later, Israel is now accusing Hezbollah, which considered a terror group by the US, Germany and other countries, of “blatant” ceasefire violations.
The Israeli military confirmed that it was firing at Lebanon on Saturday, but accused Hezbollah of breaking the latest ceasefire.
“Overnight, the Hezbollah terrorist organization launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon,” an IDF military official was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
In response, Israel has been hitting “Hezbollah terrorist targets,” the official added.
Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon, is both an Iran-backed Shiite militia and a political party in the religiously diverse country. Also on Saturday, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said his group had the right to respond to Israeli attacks.
“For us, what concerns us is that the enemy fully and comprehensively respects the ceasefire, and doesn’t attempt to attack our country and villages or seek to occupy any new position,” Fadlallah said in a statement, adding that “the resistance has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us, as it is the aggressor and the occupier.”
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With US-Iran talks in Switzerland still in doubt, Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported that Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was traveling to Tehran on Saturday.
Naqvi is scheduled to meet “high-ranking Iranian officials” and “follow up on the progress of negotiations” with the United States, according to the report.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator in the ongoing conflict, with Naqvi visiting Iran several times since the war broke out in late February.
His latest visit, earlier this week, saw Naqvi meet with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.
Israel launched a new round of strikes against targets in southern Lebanon overnight, killing five people, according to Lebanese news agency NNA.
The state-run agency reported that the Israeli military used jets, drones and artillery against residential buildings. The Israeli military, or Israel Defense Forces, did not immediately comment.
The news comes just hours after Israel agreed to a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia based in Lebanon.
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Any renewed fighting in Lebanon could threaten US and Iranian efforts to restart the peace process in Switzerland.
US diplomat Steve Witkoff, who serves as Donald Trump‘s special envoy for the Middle East, is on his way to Switzerland, where he is expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, US media reported on Saturday.
The talks come after US Vice President JD Vance canceled his own trip on Friday.
Washington and Tehran were hoping to work out the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on ending the Iran war. Those plans were disrupted due to renewed fighting between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Hezbollah is deemed a terror group by Israel, Germany, the US and many other countries.
It was not clear if Vance is also traveling to Switzerland on Saturday. However, reports indicated Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who also acted the White House envoy in the Middle East, will attend the renewed talks.
You join us as the United States and Iran move to salvage the Switzerland peace talks after negotiations scheduled for Friday were postponed during heavy fighting in Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia have since announced a ceasefire. Latest reports, however, indicate more Israeli airstrikes.
Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also reportedly expected to attend talks in Switzerland.
We will be bringing you latest updates, videos and expert analysis on the conflict in the Middle East throughout the day.
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