The $30 million ceasefire deal that Hezbollah rejected

The latest ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon's government was brokered by the United States and called for Lebanon's armed forces to take control of security zones in southern Lebanon where militants would be banned.

However, Hezbollah's leader Naim Kassem rejected the deal, calling it 'absurd, humiliating,and insulting'. He argued that requiring Hezbollah fighters to leave southern Lebanon under fire would mean 'surrender, defeat and achieving the enemy's goals'.

Kassem emphasized that Hezbollah has not committed to stopping its attacks, saying 'So long as our villages are not safe and are being bombed and destroyed and our people are killed ,' northern Israel 'will not be safe.'

Hezbollah's rejection: a new chapter in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has persisted despite diplomatic efforts to end the war. The United States brokered the latest agreement between Israel and Lebanon's government, which accuses Hezbollah of dragging the country into war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to press ahead with the offensive until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat. He has downplayed diplomatic deadlocks, stating that in the Middle East, 'a ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner.'

The conflict has killed over 3,500 people in Lebanon and displaced 1.2 million, while 27 Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed. Israeli troops have seized about a fifth of Lebanon, pushing further south than at any time since the 1982-2000 occupation.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

According to the UN, a Serbian peacekeeper was killed and two others wounded when a mortar struck their location near Marjayoun, a Christian-majority town experiencing intense fighting.

Israel blamed Hezbollah for the firing that killed the peacekeeper, without offering evidence.. Hezbollah and the UN did not immediately comment on who launched the shells.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported a drone strike killed a motorcyclist and wounded four in Maaroub , and airstrikes in Sohmor killed three people.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The conflict has strained northern Israeli towns, with Lt.Gen. Eyal Zamir acknowledging the threat from Hezbollah fire. He said Israel's operations in Iran and Lebanon had 'created a new security reality' by weakening Iran and Hezbollah 'to an unprecedented degree.'

Hezbollah resumed rocket fire days after Israel and the United States launched a surprise attack on Iran on Feb. 28, which backs Hezbollah. Before then, Israel had regularly struck Lebanon despite an earlier 2024 truce.

A familiar pattern from the 2019 crash

The ongoing war has strained northern Israeli towns, with Lt.Gen. Eyal Zamir acknowledging the threat from Hezbollah fire. He said Israel's operations in Iran and Lebanon had 'created a new security reality' by weakening Iran and Hezbollah 'to an unprecedented degree.'

Hezbollah resumed rocket fire days after Israel and the United States launched a surprise attack on Iran on Feb. 28, which backs Hezbollah. before then, Israel had regularly struck Lebanon despite an earlier 2024 truce.