Israeli gunfire killed two people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese authorities said, raising fresh concerns about the durability of a ceasefire that has largely held since Sunday and is closely tied to broader efforts to end the conflict between the United States and Iran.
The deaths were the first reported fatalities since the truce took effect, ending what has been the longest pause in fighting since Hezbollah entered the war on March 2 in support of Iran, triggering a major Israeli offensive in Lebanon.
Traffic clogged highways leading south on Tuesday as displaced families began returning to their towns and villages, hopeful that the lull in violence would last. But the latest shooting quickly reignited fears that the ceasefire could unravel.
According to Lebanon’s state news agency and local officials, Israeli troops opened fire near a bulldozer clearing a road in the Nabatieh al-Fawqa area. The Lebanese health ministry and civil defence said two people were killed.
The Israeli military said its forces had first fired warning shots at four individuals travelling on a bulldozer and motorcycle after they entered an area still under Israeli military control.
It described the group as Hezbollah operatives “operating under civilian cover” and said additional fire was used after they continued approaching Israeli positions.
In a separate incident, Israel said it carried out a strike against armed individuals it viewed as an immediate threat to its troops in the nearby Ali al-Taher ridge area.
Hezbollah condemned the killings, describing the victims as civilians and accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire. The group did not indicate whether it would retaliate.
The incident comes at a delicate moment in regional diplomacy. Tehran has repeatedly insisted that any lasting agreement with Washington must include an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
Speaking in Geneva, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ali Bahreini, warned that continued Israeli attacks could jeopardize wider peace efforts.
“Lebanon is an unquestionable part of the agreement,” he said, adding that any violation could complicate negotiations and that Washington should use its influence to restrain Israel.
A joint statement issued after recent U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland outlined plans for a “de-confliction cell” aimed at preventing violations and preserving calm in Lebanon.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that commitment during a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday.
According to Lebanese officials, discussions are still underway on how the mechanism would operate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, signaled that Israel intends to maintain military freedom of action in Lebanon.
He said Israeli forces would remain deployed for as long as necessary and would continue acting against any direct or emerging threat posed by Hezbollah.
Later on Tuesday, a separate Israeli drone strike targeted a parked vehicle in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media reported no casualties.
The Nabatieh region and the nearby Ali al-Taher ridge have witnessed some of the fiercest fighting of recent weeks as Israeli troops pushed deeper into southern Lebanon.
The conflict has displaced roughly 1.2 million people, according to Lebanese authorities.
Zein Ghandour, the mayor of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, said residents had started returning to inspect damaged homes but were now being urged to stay away.
“People are scared,” he told Reuters.
Elsewhere in southern Lebanon, signs of a gradual return to normal life were emerging. Local officials in Zrarieh said hundreds of families had returned, while nearby Toura reported that up to 70% of residents were back despite extensive destruction.
Many families, however, still have no homes left to return to.
Lebanon’s health ministry says more than 4,100 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since the conflict began, including hundreds of women, children and healthcare workers. The figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
On the Israeli side, at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed during the latest round of fighting with Hezbollah.
As diplomatic talks continue in Washington and Geneva, Tuesday’s violence served as a reminder of how fragile the current calm remains and how closely the future of Lebanon is tied to the broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
