The Israeli army carried out a wave of air attacks on Lebanon, killing more than 250 people, on Wednesday, the bloodiest day since the US-Israel war on Iran began nearly six weeks ago.
On Thursday, Israel said it had also killed an aide to Hezbollah’s chief, Naim Qassem, in the attacks.
The attacks came just hours after the announcement of a two-week United States-Iran ceasefire raised hopes of a de-escalation on all fronts in the war on Iran, which has spread across the region.
On Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government helped broker the deal, said the ceasefire deal included the halting of attacks on all fronts, specifically mentioning Lebanon, where Israel says it is targeting the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah.
Israel, however, together with the US, disputes this, claiming that the cessation of hostilities relates only to attacks between the US, Israel, and Iran. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said the Israeli attacks on Lebanon were separate.
The latest violence has exposed major disagreements and confusion about the scope of the ceasefire and raised fears that it could unravel even before negotiations for a permanent settlement begin. Talks are due to commence in Islamabad on Saturday.
On Wednesday, hours after the ceasefire was announced, Israel launched its most widespread attacks since March 2, when fighting with Hezbollah began, striking more than 100 targets across the country
Lebanon’s civil defence said at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 wounded in air attacks on Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, including densely populated areas
In a written statement, the head of Lebanon’s syndicate of doctors, Elias Chlela, urgently called for “all physicians from all specialities” to head to any hospital they could to offer help, with one of Beirut’s biggest hospitals saying it needed donations of all blood types
The United Nations described the casualty figures as “appalling”, with its human rights chief Volker Turk calling the destruction “horrific
dence, that it was targeting Hezbollah military infrastructure. But Lebanese officials and aid groups said entire neighbourhoods were devastated, with hospitals overwhelmed and emergency services struggling to cope.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called the attacks on densely populated areas a “full-fledged war crime
“Today’s crime, coinciding with the ceasefire agreement declared in the region – an agreement that Israel and its political and security apparatus have failed to uphold,” he said
The key diplomatic dispute, for the time being, is whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire, as US, Iranian, Israeli and Pakistani officials have offered differing interpretations of what was agreed
In an X post on Wednesday, Pakistan PM Sharif wrote: “I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.” His country has acted as the central mediator in achieving the fragile ceasefire.
Iran also stated that the truce extends to Lebanon and called on the US to enforce the ceasefire accordingly
Citing Sharif’s ceasefire announcement, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the “US must choose between a ceasefire or continued war via Israel
“It cannot have both. The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US’ court,” he wrote on X.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon would undermine the agreement and risk further escalation.
When US President Donald Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran, he said it included “a complete and total cessation of hostilities” between Washington and Tehran. However, he later clarified that Lebanon was “a separate skirmish”
By contrast, US officials have stated that the fragile truce excludes Lebanon
In a post on X, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Netanyahu’s “contempt for life and international law is intolerable” in light of the attacks
Egypt said the attacks demonstrated a “premeditated intent” by Israel to undermine efforts at de-escalation in the region, while Turkiye warned Israel’s attacks were worsening the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and called for immediate action to protect civilians
France also condemned Israel’s attacks, while calling for Lebanon’s inclusion in the ceasefire
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has told the BBC that Lebanon must also be included in the ceasefire – a stance she is expected to reiterate in a speech at the Mansion House later on Thursday. She described Israel’s continued assaults on Lebanon as “completely wrong
UN chief Antonio Guterres, in a statement, said the “ongoing military activity in Lebanon” poses a “grave risk” to the ceasefire between the US and Iran
More than 1.2 million people have been displaced in the war-battered country since Israeli attacks on Lebanon began