Clashes continue in Lebanon despite acceptance of partial ceasefire plan

2026-06-02 08:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Clashes have continued in southern Lebanon despite Israel and Hezbollah accepting a US plan to implement a partial ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump said he had spoken to both sides and "they agreed that all shooting will stop," after Iran warned that Israeli military actions in Lebanon were a threat to the current US-Iran ceasefire.

Lebanon said Hezbollah had accepted the plan in exchange for it stopping attacks on Israel and for Israel not to attack the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the agreement but warned that attacks on Beirut would continue "if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and civilians" - adding that the Israeli military would continue to operate in southern Lebanon.

However, there was further violence during the night.

Hezbollah said it had launched three attacks on Israeli tanks and soldiers near two villages in northern Israel, using drones and "a barrage of artillery shells."

The Israeli military said it had intercepted two shells fired from Lebanon. No injuries were reported.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported Israeli airstrikes in several southern areas and said "a very violent explosion" shook the town of Debbine.

Earlier, the Israeli leader had ordered strikes on "terrorist targets" in the southern suburbs of Beirut in response to rocket and drone attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah.

This prompted a flurry of warnings from Iranian officials, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that the US-Iran ceasefire was "unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon" and that "its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts."

Separately, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran may suspend indirect negotiations with the US regarding Israeli military actions in Lebanon.

The news agency - which is affiliated with Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - also said Iran and its allies could "activate other fronts, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait" at the entrance to the Red Sea.

But in subsequent posts on Truth Social, Trump insisted that talks with Iran were proceeding at a "rapid pace" and said he had spoken with both Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives.

"I had a very productive call with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and there will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on the way have been turned back," the US president wrote.

"Also, through senior representatives, I had a very good conversation with Hezbollah and they agreed that all shooting will stop - so that Israel does not attack them and they do not attack Israel." /CNA, translated by BBC