ISRAELI air strikes have continued to target towns in southern Lebanon despite an agreement between the United States and Iran set to be formally signed on Friday to end the war on all fronts.
Israeli drones carried out three attacks in Tyre that resulted in injuries while a drone also targeted the Bint Jbeil district in Nabatieh, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said on Wednesday.
The fighting in Lebanon is considered one of the biggest threats to the framework agreement in the US-Israel war on Iran with Tehran warning that new Israeli strikes on Lebanon and continued occupation of its territory would be regarded as a violation of the deal.
Earlier on Wednesday, Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground reported that Israeli forces carried out an air strike on the outskirts of Kfar Tebnit, also in the Nabatieh district. They also launched raids on the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and shelled the Ali al-Taher heights and the outskirts of the town.
A day earlier, Israeli attacks killed at least four people in Nabatieh, including in drone strikes on several vehicles.
Hezbollah fighters, meanwhile, launched at least 10 rockets towards Israeli forces near Kfar Tebnit. Later on Wednesday, the Israeli army said an explosive Hezbollah drone detonated near its troops stationed in southern Lebanon, wounding four of them.
It added that minutes later, another drone detonated and injured one more soldier.
There has been a reduction in violence since the US-Iran agreement was announced, but attacks have not stopped, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said, reporting from Beirut.
“Security sources believe that the Israeli army is trying to occupy more ground, especially strategic high ground around Nabatieh,” she said. “Yes, families have started to return to their villages, but people are worried. They say they don’t trust that Israel will abide by the ceasefire.”
United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the number of projectiles fired between Israeli forces and Lebanon fell to 174 on Sunday, compared with 705 the previous Sunday.
Of these, 169 were attributed to Israel and five to Hezbollah, he said.
The situation in Lebanon is one of the main pillars of the US-Iran agreement, Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid said, reporting from Tehran.
“As we approach the signing of the deal, it is becoming the most sensitive issue between the sides,” Alruhaid said.
Iran said the Israeli military has violated the ceasefire in Lebanon 84 times in the past two days and warned that Israel should expect “a harsh response” if it does not stop its attacks, he reported.
This came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Lebanese territory is one of the core demands right now to move forward with the framework agreement Iran has with the US, Alruhaid said: “So the Iranians say the situation in Lebanon, in particular southern Lebanon, is an integral part of the memorandum of understanding.”
Lebanon was among the top priorities for the Iranians when they started negotiations with US President Donald Trump’s administration, according to Mohammad Eslami from Tehran University.