TEHRAN - Israel’s continued deadly bombardments of Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement, clearly indicate that the truce exists only on paper — and that Israel has no scruples about violating it.

Fresh hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel began on March 2. Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in the middle of last month led to a US-brokered ceasefire. Despite the truce, which has officially been in place since April 17, Israel has not only continued its occupation of parts of southern Lebanon but has also carried out regular attacks under the pretext of targeting Hezbollah positions.

In wide-scale Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Friday, dozens of people lost their lives.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), the Israeli army targeted the town of Toura in Tyre and the town of Blat in the Marjayoun district. It also hit the districts of Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, and Sidon, among others.

The Israeli army also issued new forced evacuation orders for some towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it carried out a flurry of attacks against Israeli forces in response to Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire.

The Lebanese Health Ministry says nearly 2,800 people have been killed and over 8,000 injured since hostilities began on March 2.

Israeli violation of Lebanese sovereignty 

A second stage of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon is expected to be held in Washington on May 14 and 15. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Al Jazeera that Lebanon is “seeking American guarantees that will contribute to restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

At the very least, Israel’s violations of the ongoing ceasefire show that Tel Aviv does not care a whit about Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the Washington-mediated truce.

Israel seeks to disarm Hezbollah, but it has failed to do so amid rising support for the group, fueled in part by Israel’s expansionist policies in Lebanon and its continued deadly raids despite the ceasefire.

Trump’s theatrical show

President Donald Trump, like previous US presidents, has thrown his full weight behind Israel. In this context, it is clear that the upcoming talks could become little more than a theatrical show and a photo opportunity for Trump. He appears eager to claim that he is the first president in American history to bring peace between the Lebanese and the Israelis. Yet the root cause of tensions between Israel and Lebanon remains Israel’s occupation and its repeated violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity over the past decades.

Iran’s red line

A new round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began just two days after the US and Israel launched a joint war on Iran. The war lasted nearly 40 days before Tehran and Washington reached a fragile ceasefire on April 8.

The first round of Pakistani-mediated talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad on April 11 failed. Iran is now reviewing a new US proposal. Iranian officials have stated that Tehran has set clear conditions for bringing a permanent end to the war. In addition to demanding credible non-aggression guarantees and an end to a US naval blockade imposed after the failure of the Islamabad talks, Iran has stressed that the Israeli war on Lebanon must completely stop.

Iranian officials have described continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon as part of a broader strategy to destabilize the region and exert pressure on Tehran during negotiations. They have emphasized that Iran will not accept any agreement that ignores Israel’s actions in Lebanon. They have also referred to this issue as a “red line” that must not be crossed, arguing that regional security is indivisible and that any sustainable arrangement must address Israel’s aggression and occupation policies.

America First vs. Israel First

Analysts, meanwhile, argue that Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon to undermine the prospects of a potential deal between Tehran and Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands accused by critics of encouraging Trump to confront Iran militarily. However, the Trump administration denies this claim.

Soon after the war began on February 28, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that Trump had turned “America First into Israel First — which always means America Last.” This message has been echoed not only by Iranian officials but also by various commentators abroad who argue that Trump’s longstanding pledge to end “forever wars” is at odds with Washington’s deepening involvement in regional conflicts.

The war with Iran has come at a high cost for the United States. In addition to rising fuel prices, Trump’s popularity has hit a record low. The conflict is also seen as posing a threat to Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections, potentially costing them seats in Congress.

If Trump truly wants to end the war with Iran, he must recognize that de-escalation cannot be selective. Any serious effort to stabilize the region would require restraining Israeli military actions, ending policies that fuel further confrontation, and addressing longstanding disputes rooted in occupation and violations of sovereignty. Without tackling these underlying issues, ceasefires will remain fragile, negotiations will lack credibility, and claims of peacemaking will ring hollow.