The incident occurred near Nabatieh Al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, where Lebanese state news agency NNA reported that Israeli soldiers opened fire on a group of people gathered near a bulldozer clearing a road in the Al-Deir neighborhood.

The Israeli military said its forces had struck “armed terrorists who posed an immediate threat” to troops operating in the Ali Al-Taher ridge area, within a zone in southern Lebanon that Israel has designated as a security area. The military did not immediately confirm whether its statement referred to the same incident reported by Lebanese authorities.

The deaths came as a U.S.-Iran-backed ceasefire arrangement aimed at halting hostilities in Lebanon faced its first major test. The truce, which has largely held since Sunday, followed diplomatic efforts linked to broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran seeking to stabilize multiple regional flashpoints.

Hezbollah condemned the shooting, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.

“The Islamic Resistance warns that what the enemy has committed constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire, which the Resistance has adhered to up to this point,” the group said in a statement.

The latest tensions emerged as technical discussions continued following U.S.-Iran talks held in Switzerland on Monday. A joint statement issued after those negotiations announced plans to establish a “de-confliction cell” designed to oversee adherence to the cessation of military operations in Lebanon and reduce the risk of renewed fighting.

Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that developments in Lebanon are an integral component of the broader diplomatic framework currently under discussion.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said any breach of commitments related to Lebanon could complicate ongoing peace negotiations.

“Lebanon is an unquestionable part of the agreement, and whatever happens in Lebanon affects the whole process,” Bahreini told reporters, adding that the United States should use its influence to prevent further attacks.

Israeli forces remain deployed in parts of southern Lebanon following military operations launched against Hezbollah during the latest escalation. The most recent round of fighting began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel in support of Iran during the wider conflict involving Tehran, Washington and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israeli forces would retain operational freedom to respond to any direct or emerging threats posed by Hezbollah and would remain in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to safeguard Israeli security.

The incident underscores the challenges facing diplomatic efforts to transform a temporary cessation of hostilities into a durable security arrangement, particularly as Israeli forces remain on Lebanese territory and Hezbollah continues to insist on an Israeli withdrawal as a condition for ending military operations permanently.

Lebanese authorities say the conflict has displaced approximately 1.2 million people and caused extensive destruction across southern regions of the country. Israel has reported military and civilian casualties from Hezbollah attacks during the same period.

Lebanese and Israeli officials are expected to continue discussions through international mediation channels as efforts proceed to prevent the ceasefire from unraveling.

Speaking to a delegation of Maronite bishops from the Lebanese diaspora, Aoun said Beirut had received assurances that developments surrounding the U.S.-Iran agreement would not dictate the course of negotiations involving Lebanon.

“We are certainly in favor of a ceasefire and welcome the efforts of any country that helps achieve it, including Iran,” Aoun said, according to remarks released by the Lebanese Presidency.

His comments came amid heightened regional diplomacy following the announcement of an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending months of conflict and creating a framework for broader negotiations.

Aoun emphasized that Lebanon’s leadership retains full authority over any discussions affecting the country and rejected suggestions that external actors could negotiate on its behalf.

“The negotiation is being conducted by the Lebanese state, which is sovereign in its decisions, and no one takes its place,” he said.

The president added that any future settlement involving Lebanon would be reached through the country’s legitimate institutions and would not come at the expense of Lebanese national interests.

His remarks appear intended to reassure domestic audiences amid growing speculation that regional diplomatic arrangements could influence parallel discussions concerning hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border.

The issue has gained urgency as international efforts intensify to secure a broader regional de-escalation. Earlier on Wednesday, leaders of the Group of Seven nations called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon while welcoming the U.S.-Iran agreement and supporting further negotiations aimed at reducing tensions across the Middle East.

Lebanon has remained a central focus of diplomatic efforts following months of conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah, with international mediators seeking pathways toward a durable ceasefire and broader regional stability.

Aoun’s statement underscores Beirut’s position that while it welcomes external assistance and diplomatic support, decisions regarding negotiations and potential settlements remain exclusively within the authority of the Lebanese state.

Officials said Lebanon had not been informed of the details or timeline of the agreement, which includes a call for military operations to end across multiple fronts.

An official source said Lebanon was not aware of the specific terms of the ceasefire arrangement, while few details of the deal had been made public.

The conflict’s spillover into Lebanon has caused widespread displacement, with around 1.2 million people forced from their homes during the Israeli offensive against Hezbollah.

Municipal authorities in southern Lebanon urged residents to postpone returns, citing continued uncertainty over security conditions. Israel has said it will not withdraw troops from parts of southern Lebanon.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would maintain security zones in southern Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, and warned that Israel would respond to any attacks linked to Iran.

Lebanon’s conflict escalated after Hezbollah began attacks against Israel in support of Tehran, drawing a major military response and causing extensive damage in southern areas.

The US-Iran agreement was announced after more than three months of conflict. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a mediator between Washington and Tehran, said the deal called for an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.

In southern Lebanon, displaced residents expressed caution about returning. Some said they feared security conditions remained uncertain despite the diplomatic breakthrough.

The agreement’s implementation and further negotiations are expected to determine whether displaced communities can safely return to their homes.

The statement came after Israel said it had carried out strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, further complicating efforts to end the wider Middle East conflict.

Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strikes showed that the United States either lacked the willingness or ability to implement its commitments.

“If you do not have the will or the ability to fulfil your commitments, then there is no point in talking about continuing down this path,” Ghalibaf said in a statement on social media.

Trump had previously said an agreement with Iran was expected to be signed soon and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately after the deal. Iran, however, has given a less certain timeline.

Iran has insisted that any agreement must also address the conflict in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been involved in fighting with Israel. Iranian Brig. Gen. Mohammad Jafar Asadi said Israeli strikes “will not go unanswered.”

A US official said the proposed agreement included Lebanon, which became involved in the wider conflict after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel.
Pakistan and Qatar have acted as mediators in the negotiations. A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday to help facilitate the finalisation of a possible agreement, according to a diplomat familiar with the matter.

The parties have given different accounts of the proposed deal, including disagreements over the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has said it will maintain authority over the strategic waterway, while Washington has rejected that position. The US has imposed a blockade affecting Iranian ports, while Iran has restricted movement through the strait.

Another major issue remains Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. Tehran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, while Israel, the United States and other Western governments have expressed concerns over potential military use.

On Sunday, Israel issued evacuation warnings for 29 villages in southern Lebanon. Israel said its strikes in Beirut were carried out in response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory.

Lebanon’s civil defence agency said at least three people were killed and six wounded in the strike. Israel’s military also said three suspected Hezbollah drones struck northern Israel but caused no casualties.

The National News Agency (NNA) said strikes hit multiple areas covered by the warning, including the villages of Rihan and Sujud, which lie near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.

Earlier, the Israeli military ordered residents to evacuate their homes immediately and move north of the Zahrani River for their safety, citing the presence of Hezbollah-linked infrastructure in the area.

“Anyone who is in the vicinity of Hezbollah installations or means of warfare is endangering their lives,” Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on social media platform X.

The evacuation order covered 20 locations across southern Lebanon and came amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the region, which Israel has described as targeting Hezbollah positions.

Lebanese authorities have repeatedly warned that expanded evacuation zones and strikes are worsening humanitarian conditions in the south, where thousands have been displaced in recent months.

The latest strikes follow a pattern of near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah-linked forces, despite international calls for de-escalation and efforts to restore a ceasefire framework.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from Saturday’s strikes, and the situation in the affected areas remained fluid, according to Lebanese state media.

The report, based on interviews with current and former Israeli intelligence and military officials, said Barnea transformed Mossad from an organization focused primarily on targeted clandestine missions into a central operational arm supporting Israel’s broader confrontation with Iran and its regional allies.

Among the report’s most significant claims were new details regarding the September 2024 killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. According to the newspaper, Lebanese agents recruited by Mossad played a role in gathering intelligence and placing targeting equipment that helped facilitate the Israeli strike that killed Nasrallah and several senior Hezbollah commanders.

The report said some operatives moved through areas recently hit by Israeli bombardment to assess damage and install equipment linked to the operation. It added that Barnea regarded locally recruited agents as among the agency’s most valuable assets and viewed their activities as evidence of a broader shift in how Mossad conducted operations abroad.

The investigation also linked Barnea to intelligence efforts preceding Israel’s military campaign against Iran in 2025. According to Israeli sources cited by the newspaper, officials examined the possibility of supporting Kurdish groups as part of a wider strategy aimed at increasing pressure on Iran’s leadership during the conflict.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli planners envisioned Kurdish forces advancing on the ground with support from Israeli air power. The proposal was ultimately blocked by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the newspaper, although Israeli officials cited in the report differed on whether opposition originated within the U.S. administration or stemmed partly from concerns raised by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

According to the report, Barnea did not believe military action alone would be sufficient to topple Iran’s leadership but argued that sustained economic, diplomatic and military pressure could gradually weaken the system and create conditions for political change.

The newspaper said Israeli and U.S. officials remain concerned about Iran’s nuclear program, particularly a facility referred to as Pickaxe Mountain, which it described as being buried deeper underground than the Fordow enrichment site targeted during U.S. strikes in 2025. Officials cited by the report expressed concern that the site could provide Iran with a more secure location for sensitive nuclear activities.

The report said Trump opposed deploying American ground forces to seize nuclear material or destroy deeply buried facilities, favoring negotiations aimed at restricting Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The investigation also revisited plans for a large-scale Mossad operation against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure that were ultimately shelved. According to the newspaper, Israeli leaders concluded in 2024 that the operation carried excessive risks and instead shifted planning toward the aerial campaign launched the following year.

Sources close to Barnea disputed aspects of that assessment, the report said, arguing that Mossad had repeatedly demonstrated an ability to conduct unprecedented operations through local recruits and covert networks operating inside Iran.

The newspaper further reported that some Israeli officials believed recent U.S. intervention to prevent additional Israeli strikes in Beirut reduced pressure on Hezbollah and complicated efforts to secure further concessions from the group. According to those officials, continued military pressure could have strengthened the Lebanese government’s position in discussions over Hezbollah’s future role and possible disarmament.

While sharing concerns about Hezbollah’s recovery, Barnea was reported to be skeptical of maintaining a long-term Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon, arguing that previous such deployments had failed to produce lasting results.

Barnea formally stepped down this week after leading Mossad for five years. Despite publicly opposing the appointment of incoming Mossad chief Roman Gofman during the selection process, the Jerusalem Post reported that Barnea subsequently urged agency personnel to support the new leadership and rejected suggestions of wider internal dissent within the intelligence service.

A government jet carrying Prime Minister Nawaf Salam landed at the airport for the opening ceremony. Officials said commercial flights are expected to begin within weeks, with initial routes planned to Türkiye, the UAE, and later Greece, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

Located near the Syrian border in Lebanon’s northern Akkar region, the airport is expected to ease pressure on Beirut’s main airport and support economic development in one of the country’s poorest regions.

The airport is named after former president-elect Rene Mouawad, who was assassinated shortly after his election in 1989.

In an interview with CNN, Aoun said Lebanon was being used as a bargaining chip in Iran’s negotiations with the United States and described such involvement as unacceptable.

Aoun also called on Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group and political movement, to accept diplomacy as the only viable path to resolving its conflict with Israel.

“Hezbollah must understand that there is no other way but to sit and talk,” Aoun said, adding that negotiation was the only means of preserving what remains of the country after years of instability and conflict.

The president’s remarks reflect growing pressure on Hezbollah following months of fighting and come as Aoun continues to advocate for the group’s peaceful disarmament, a position he has maintained since taking office last year.

The comments also underscore widening political divisions in Lebanon, where debates over Hezbollah’s military role and Iran’s influence remain central issues.

On Thursday, Hezbollah rejected a U.S.-mediated ceasefire proposal that had been discussed by Lebanese and Israeli officials. The plan reportedly called for a halt in hostilities and the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from southern Lebanon.

Iran has linked a ceasefire in Lebanon to broader negotiations with Washington over the regional conflict that began after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

UNIFIL said the peacekeeper died from critical injuries sustained during Wednesday night’s attack on a base located near the border area where Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters continue to clash. The mission said an investigation had been launched and called on relevant authorities to examine the incident.

Serbia’s defense ministry identified the deceased soldier as Milovan Jovanovic, a senior sergeant who was evacuated to a medical center in Beirut after receiving emergency treatment at the base but later succumbed to his injuries.

The death raises the number of UNIFIL personnel killed since the latest round of hostilities began in March to seven. Around 170 Serbian troops serve within the 7,500-member UN force deployed along the Blue Line, the de facto border separating Lebanon and Israel.

UNIFIL said it had recorded an increasing number of projectiles and impacts across southern Lebanon and renewed calls for an end to the violence.

The peacekeeping mission has suffered multiple casualties in recent months. In March, two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in separate incidents, while in April two French peacekeepers died in an ambush that French authorities and the UN attributed to Hezbollah, a claim the group denied.

Earlier this week, Antonio Guterres said UN peacekeepers would continue to be needed in Lebanon beyond the expiration of UNIFIL’s current mandate at the end of the year.

The ministry said the ambulance belonged to the Risala Scouts Association, affiliated with the Amal movement, a Hezbollah ally. Images released by the ministry showed the vehicle heavily damaged at the scene.

Lebanese authorities said at least 130 emergency and health workers have been killed since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated in March.