May 23, 2026
Mourners weep during the funeral of victims killed following an Israeli strike, in Deïr Qanoun en Nahr village near the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on May 23, 2026. Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP.
Israel struck south Lebanon on Saturday despite a ceasefire as Hezbollah said its backer Tehran had pledged not to abandon the militant group.
Hezbollah said its chief Naim Qassem had received a message from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, saying the latest proposal through Pakistani mediators aimed at ending the regional war emphasised “the demand to include Lebanon” in the broader ceasefire.
Lebanese authorities, however, have insisted the country’s ongoing talks with Israel under US auspices must be independent from the Iran-US negotiations.
