After the US and Israel began their war with Iran on Feb. 28, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah was quick to join the fray, firing rockets and drones into Israel. Officials there saw in the crisis sweeping the region a chance to finally drive Hezbollah, already weakened by a series of setbacks, away from Israel’s northern border.
While the US and Iran largely refrained from attacking each other after they agreed to a ceasefire on April 7, Israel and Hezbollah continued to trade blows. Their fight has threatened to reignite the larger conflagration and complicated talks aimed at resolving it. Under a preliminary agreement ending the war between Iran and the US that President Donald Trump signed on June 17, the two states declared the end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. However, neither Israel nor Hezbollah were parties to the deal.