Israeli forces launched a major wave of air strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 182 people and wounding 890 others, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The attacks targeted more than 100 Hezbollah command centers and military sites in 10 minutes, according to Israeli officials, who described it as the largest wave of strikes in the current conflict.

Strikes Target Key Areas

The southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the eastern Bekaa Valley were all targeted in the strikes. Emergency workers were still searching the damaged buildings hours later at the site of the largest air strike on Beirut, where they found remnants of interrupted lives, including pictures of smiling families, pieces of clothing, and unfinished school homework.

Abdelkader Mahfouz, who was visiting his wounded brother, described the scene as harrowing. ‘There was a lot of body parts here. Only people are getting harmed. What should the people do. We can’t do anything,’ he told the BBC.

Ceasefire Dispute Continues

The attacks occurred after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied the claim by Pakistan, which had mediated the deal between the US and Iran, that the ceasefire covered the conflict in Lebanon. In Washington, US President Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Lebanon was not part of the deal.

Hezbollah, which has not claimed any attack since the deal was announced, stated it had the right to respond and warned displaced families to wait for a formal ceasefire announcement before returning home. The Lebanese presidency said it would continue ‘efforts to include Lebanon in regional peace.’

Escalation and Casualties

The latest escalation in the decades-long conflict between Hezbollah and Israel erupted when the group fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening stages of the war. The attacks have continued despite a ceasefire agreed in November 2024.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, more than 1,700 people have been killed so far, including at least 130 children, with no distinction made between combatants and civilians. Israel claims it has killed around 1,100 Hezbollah fighters.

Over 1.2 million people have been displaced, or one in five of the population, most of them from Shia Muslim communities. Villages near the border have been destroyed as Israeli troops aim to create a security buffer zone to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure and push its fighters away.

Israeli officials had previously indicated their intention to continue their campaign in Lebanon even if there was a deal with Iran. However, recent military sources quoted by Israeli media suggested the army had no intention to advance further in their invasion and acknowledged they would not be able to disarm Hezbollah by force.

Observers expressed surprise at Hezbollah’s military capabilities, as it was widely believed the group had been severely weakened in their last war. The group has frequently launched rockets and drones into northern Israel but has also confronted Israeli troops on the ground in southern Lebanon.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah has faced strong criticism as many blame it for dragging the country into an unwanted war and of defending the interests of its Iranian patron. However, the group still enjoys significant support among Lebanese Shia.

The displacement crisis has put further pressure on the crisis-hit country. Schools turned into shelters are full, and many are sleeping in improvised tents in public spaces and even in cars. The arrival of families to other communities has led to a rise in sectarian tensions, with people fearing they too could become the target of Israeli attacks.

After the ceasefire deal in 2024, the Lebanese government announced a plan to disarm Hezbollah, which was created in the 1980s in response to Israel’s occupation of Lebanon during the 15-year Lebanese civil war. However, the group has refused to discuss the future of its weapons.

President Joseph Aoun, a former army chief, had ruled out using force, warning it could exacerbate divisions and lead to violence. Reacting to the latest escalation, his government made the historic announcement that it was open to negotiate directly with Israel, despite the lack of diplomatic relations. However, Israel has ignored the offer so far.