Lebanon's Aoun accuses Hezbollah of 'treason' over war

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun has said that direct negotiations with Israel were aimed at ending the conflict with Hezbollah, while accusing those who drew Lebanon into war of "treason" in an implicit rebuke to Hezbollah.

His comments came as Israel said it had begun attacking the militant group’s positions in the Bekaa region.

"My goal is to reach an end to the state of war with Israel, similar to the armistice agreement" of 1949, Mr Aoun said in a statement, adding that "I assure you that I will not accept reaching a humiliating agreement".

"Those who dragged us into war in Lebanon are now holding us accountable because we made the decision to go to negotiations ... What we are doing is not treason. Rather, treason is committed by those who take their country to war to achieve foreign interests," he added.

The Israel Defence Forces said it was striking Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa valley, despite a ceasefire that began earlier this month.

"The IDF has begun to strike Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the Bekaa valley and in additional areas across southern Lebanon," it said in a brief statement on social media.

Lebanon's health ministry reported that Isareli attacks killed 14 people and wounded 37 yesterday.

The IDF warned residents to leave seven towns beyond the "buffer zone" it occupied before the truce that has failed to fully halt hostilities.

The death toll included two children and two women, the health ministry added in a statement.

Israel said one of its soldiers was also killed as a fragile ceasefire came under further strain.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military claimed in a statement on X that Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was violating the ceasefire and that Israel would act against it, telling people to head north and west away from the towns.

The towns are north of the Litani River and the zone in southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli troops, who have continued military operations despite the ceasefire.

The military said that it struck Hezbollah fighters, rocket launchers and a weapons depot.

"From our perspective, what obliges us is the security of Israel, the security of our soldiers, the security of our communities," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

"We act vigorously according to the rules we agreed upon with the United States, and also, by the way, with Lebanon."

Hezbollah said it would not cease its attacks on Israeli troops inside Lebanon and on towns in northern Israel as long as Israel continued its "ceasefire violations".

The group added in a statement that it would not wait for diplomacy that has "proven ineffective" or rely on Lebanese authorities that had "failed to protect the country".

Earlier yesterday, Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli troops inside Lebanon as well as the rescue force that came to evacuate them.

The Israeli military said one soldier was killed and six more were wounded.

The Israeli military said it had intercepted three drones before they crossed into Israeli territory, after sirens sounded in northern Israel.

The US-mediated ceasefire, which started on 16 April and has been extended to mid-May, has brought a significant reduction in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, though both sides have continued to fire at each other, trading blame over breaches.

More than 2,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the most recent war between Hezbollah and Israel began on 2 March, days after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

The toll includes 277 women, 177 children and 100 medics, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

The ministry does not otherwise distinguish between militants and civilians, and Hezbollah has not announced a total toll of its fighters.

The group has buried dozens of fighters in group funerals in recent days.

Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians in Israel while 16 Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon since 2 March, Israel says.