Violence erupted strongly throughout Lebanon on Friday, in the worst outbreak of fighting since the recent U.S.-Iran deal to stop the wider war in the Middle East. The Israelis claimed four of their soldiers had been killed in combat, and said 47 were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

Seven women and two children were among the civilian casualties among 97 others who were wounded, according to the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon. The latest attacks have caused hundreds of cars to fill the streets of Sidon as people try to leave southern areas such as Nabatieh.

But an anonymous U.S. official stated that a cease-fire had been effectively negotiated. The diplomatic move was reportedly coordinated with Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after extensive back-channel contacts with Israel and Iran.

Conflicting Directives and Rising Political Tensions

But on the ground, the war continued uninterrupted. Since midnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been credited with carrying out over 150 strikes in Lebanon. Military spokesmen said that they attacked more than 80 command centers, launch positions, and Hezbollah infrastructure sites and that they destroyed dozens of Hezbollah operatives.

The Prime Minister‘s Office in Israel, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, did not immediately respond to requests from AFP news agency for confirmation of the truce. A military official told CCTV that all accords are political matters and that soldiers would only work within the framework of the active combat rules.

The conflict took a heavy toll on Israeli troops as well. Three other soldiers died with Lieutenant Colonel Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon when their tank was struck by a suspected drone or anti-tank missile, the military said. In another drone strike, another reserve officer sustained serious injuries.

These troop casualties provoked strong responses in Israel’s government. The far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called for “serious revenge” for each Israeli mother who cried, saying there should be a thousand Lebanese mothers crying, as well

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned Israel for trying to establish a “state of war” in response to the ongoing strikes. In the meantime, officials in the White House, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have voiced increasing dismay at Israel’s continuing military offensive in Lebanon..

Prime Minister Netanyahu said Friday that Israeli forces are staying in southern Lebanon as long as they need to. Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Friday that Israeli troops will stay in southern Lebanon as long as they’re needed. The conflict, that kicked off after Hezbollah bombed Israel as a sort of vengeful response to the death of Iran’s supreme leader, has been really ravaging the area with heavy air strikes and nonstop ground raids.