Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday ordered the Israel Defense Forces to strike Hezbollah “with force” after the group launched fresh attacks on Israel. His decision has pushed the three-week ceasefire to the brink of collapse.

Ceasefire faces fresh pressure

The situation escalated quickly. The United States, which mediated the truce, is still pushing for more talks between Israeli and Lebanese leaders.

Rocket sirens rang out in northern Israel on Saturday. Hezbollah launched a drone and two rockets. The IDF called it a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

The IDF said it intercepted the drone and one rocket. The second rocket landed in an open area. No one was injured. The IDF added, “A suspicious aerial target, believed to be a Hezbollah drone, was intercepted in Southern Lebanon in an area where IDF forces were operating.”

Fighting continues despite truce

The violence continued even after Israel and Lebanon extended the ceasefire by three weeks. Hezbollah sent several explosive drones toward Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. The IDF said no injuries were reported.

Israeli forces responded with strikes across Lebanon. The IDF said it killed three Hezbollah fighters in an armed pickup truck inside a security zone.

The army also killed one militant on a motorcycle and two more near the Litani River. The IDF said more than 15 Hezbollah fighters died over the weekend.

Israel targets Hezbollah sites

Israel increased its attacks on Hezbollah positions. The IDF struck buildings used by the group. These included a weapons depot holding a “cache of anti-tank missiles.”

The Israeli Air Force also hit rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.

US pushes diplomacy

US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire extension earlier this week. He said the pause would support peace talks. These talks are important. Israeli and Lebanese leaders are meeting directly for the first time since 1993.

Trump said Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will visit the White House soon. He told reporters, “We’re going to be working with Lebanon to get things straightened out in that country.”