BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on a military vehicle in southern Lebanon killed three soldiers, the Lebanese military said on Saturday, laying bare Israel’s continued aggression just days after the countries discussed a conditional truce during talks in the United States. Israel has launched an invasion into Lebanon, claiming it seeks to root out Hezbollah, which engaged in the wider Middle East war by launching retaliatory missiles against Israeli forces in response to US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Meanwhile, Lebanon has vowed that it will disarm Hezbollah over time, but has also denounced Israel’s invasion, accusing it of employing scorched-earth tactics to drive civilians out of southern towns and villages. In the latest incident, the Lebanese army said two officers and a soldier were killed in a strike on a military vehicle on the road between Khardali and Nabatieh. Tehran rejects claims it is using Lebanon as ‘bargaining chip’, urges Beirut to focus on ‘real foe’ Hezbollah dubbed the attack a “heinous crime”. It criticised the Lebanese government for exposing its own country to further bloodshed through its “complete surrender to the enemy’s demands in Washington”. A conditional truce announced this week in Washington requires Hezbollah to stop firing and withdraw from near the Israeli border, and would see Lebanon’s army deploy to new “pilot zones” in the area, where it will exercise exclusive control. But Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, demanding a Israeli troops withdrawal. The Lebanese army said that “the continuation of the deliberate and repeated brutal Israeli aggression … is aimed at thwarting all efforts to reach a solution”. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also denounced the latest attack, calling it a “flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty … despite Lebanon’s efforts in the Washington negotiations to put an end to the continued Israeli aggression that goes unchecked”. On Saturday, Israel renewed evacuation orders for five villages in Lebanon’s south and east, telling residents to move north of the Zahrani River. Its military conducted several strikes across South Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday rejected Aoun’s remarks that Lebanon was a bargaining chip for Tehran. “Had Lebanon been a bargaining chip for Iran, we’d have a deal long ago,” Araghchi posted on X. “Based on Mr Aoun’s comments, one would think it’s Iran that has occupied 1/5 of Lebanon, displaced 1/4 of Lebanese and bombing his country on daily basis… Save Lebanon from your real foe, Mr. President,” Araghchi added. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2026