Here's the latest
• US negotiators head to talks: Envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Switzerland, a US official said, as Washington and Tehran work to get technical talks back on track after a postponement. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to join. Negotiators face a 60-day deadline to reach a final deal.
• Fresh Israeli strikes: At least five people were killed by Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon this morning, in another test of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that was renewed just yesterday after the conflict jeopardized US-Iran negotiations.
• US-Israel ties: Trump affirmed his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday before the latest strikes, even as Israel’s offensive in Lebanon stokes tensions and impacts US-Iran negotiations. “I’ve always been good with Bibi,” he told NBC. “You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head.”
Deadly Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon despite renewed ceasefire, state media reports
Israeli strikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning local time, killing at least five people, Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported, despite Israel and Hezbollah renewing their truce Friday.
Strikes and artillery fire were reported across Nabatieh district, destroying homes and residential buildings, according to NNA.
Three people were killed after Israeli jets struck the town of Arab Salim at around 6:30 a.m. local time, NNA reported. One person was killed in a strike on the town of Deir al-Zahrani and another killed when a drone struck a motorcycle in the town of al-Dweir at around 7:30 a.m., the news agency reported.
A source told CNN that Israel and Hezbollah’s new ceasefire was expected to begin at 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) on Friday.
The latest truce agreement was reached after the two sides traded deadly fire on Friday, imperiling negotiations to reach a final peace deal between the United States and Iran. The Israeli military killed at least 47 people in Lebanon on Friday, according to the Lebanese health ministry, making it the second deadliest day since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah flared in early March.
Israel and Lebanon are expected to participate in another round of diplomatic meetings in Washington next week.
Where do US-Iran talks stand?
Washington and Tehran are working to get technical talks back on track after a postponement that saw US Vice President JD Vance scrap his trip to Switzerland for negotiations.
Those talks were set to begin Friday, but were abruptly postponed after a flare up in deadly attacks between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The combatants have now renewed their fragile truce, which has repeatedly threatened US-Iran negotiations.
Israel has come under increasing criticism from its strongest ally, with Vance and President Donald Trump slamming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offensive in Lebanon during peace talks.
Most recently, however, Trump said his relationship with Netanyahu was steadfast. “I’ve always been good with Bibi,” he told NBC Friday. “You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head.”
Special envoy Steve Witkoff is now traveling to Switzerland, a US official said, with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also expected to join. Witkoff and Kushner previously led negotiations with Iran to reach the initial memorandum of understanding.
When exactly talks will resume remains unclear, but they will likely be held at the Swiss mountain resort of Bürgenstock. On Friday, the Swiss foreign ministry said “the relevant preparatory work at Bürgenstock is continuing.”
Negotiators face a 60-day deadline to reach a final deal.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Aditi Sangal, Alejandra Jaramillo, Mustafa Qadri, Adam Pourahmadi and Ross Adkin contributed reporting.
Israeli front pages spotlight Vance comments
Vice President JD Vance made front pages across Israel after saying “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.” CNN’s Oren Liebermann reports.
Vice President JD Vance made front pages across Israel after saying "Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time." The comments provoked reaction from politicians in both the U.S. and Israel about the relationship between the two nations and how leaders around the world have viewed Israel.
What key parties are saying about the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire renewal
A renewed truce was reached between Israel and Hezbollah after the two sides traded deadly fire, potentially imperiling negotiations to reach a final peace deal between the United States and Iran.
The Israeli military killed at least 47 people in strikes across southern Lebanon on Friday, in the second deadliest day since hostilities flared in early March. The strikes came after four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack.
Israel and Lebanon are expected to participate in another round of diplomatic meetings in Washington next week.
Here’s a look at what each party is saying so far:
- Israel: Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said Israel will continue operating in southern Lebanon, and accused Hezbollah of launching hundreds of explosive drones and rockets at Israeli civilians and soldiers. But ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said Israel remains “firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if “Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities.”
- Hezbollah: Officials from the Iran-backed militant group cast doubt on the utility of a renewed ceasefire, but tentatively agreed to avoid further conflict. “We will abide by the ceasefire if Israel abides by it, and we have the right to respond,” Hezbollah parliamentary member Ibrahim al-Moussawi said in a statement to Qatar-based Al-Araby TV.
- Lebanon: President Joseph Aoun underscored the need for a “comprehensive ceasefire” to end all Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s territory in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, his office said.
- US President Donald Trump: Trump told NBC News he spoke with Israel and encouraged them to agree to a ceasefire, but declined to say whether he had talked directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has voiced confidence in his ability to prevent further Israeli attacks, saying in an interview with Axios before the ceasefire announcement that Israel will “do as I say.”
- Iran: Tehran pulled out of planned negotiations with Washington after Israel’s deadly attacks in Lebanon, but talks with mediators sought to reorganize them after the ceasefire.
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Mitchell McCluskey, Charbel Mallo, Jennifer Hansler, Mustafa Qadri, Adam Pourahmadi, Oren Liebermann and Alejandra Jaramillo contributed reporting to this post.
