Israeli forces carried out repeated air strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday, the bloodiest day since the US-Israel war against Iran began nearly six weeks ago.
Israel announced Thursday that a close aide to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem was also killed in the attack.
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The attack came just hours after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, raising hopes that tensions would ease on all sides in the region-wide war against Iran.
On Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government helped broker the deal, said the cease-fire agreement includes a halt to attacks on all fronts, with particular reference to Lebanon, where Israel says it is targeting the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.
However, Israel, along with the United States, disputes this, insisting that the cessation of hostilities only concerns attacks between the United States, Israel, and Iran. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said Israel’s attack on Lebanon was separate.
Recent violence has revealed deep disagreements and confusion over the scope of the ceasefire, raising concerns that it could crumble before talks towards a permanent settlement can begin. Talks are scheduled to begin in Islamabad on Saturday.
What kind of attacks has Israel carried out in Lebanon since the ceasefire was announced?
On Wednesday, hours after the ceasefire was announced, Israel launched its most extensive offensive since fighting with Hezbollah began on March 2, hitting more than 100 targets across the country.
Lebanon’s civil defense authorities said at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 injured in air attacks on southern Lebanon, including Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and populated areas.
In a written statement, Elias Klera, head of the Lebanese Doctors Association, urgently called on “all doctors of all specialties” to go to hospitals and seek help wherever possible, saying one of Beirut’s largest hospitals needed donations of all blood types.
The United Nations described the number of casualties as “horrifying” and human rights chief Volker Turk called the destruction “horrifying”.
Israel claimed, without providing evidence, that it was targeting Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. But Lebanese officials and aid groups say entire neighborhoods have been devastated, hospitals are full and emergency services are struggling to cope.
Parliament Speaker Navi Berri called the attacks on populated areas “full-scale war crimes.”
“Today’s crimes are consistent with the ceasefire agreement declared in the region, which Israel and its political and security apparatus have failed to uphold,” he said.
How did the countries that participated in the ceasefire react?
A key diplomatic issue for now is whether Lebanon will be included in the cease-fire agreement, as officials from the United States, Iran, Israel and Pakistan offer different interpretations of the deal.
“I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States of America, and their allies have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including in Lebanon and the rest of the world, with immediate effect,” Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif wrote in an X post on Wednesday. His country has played a central intermediary role in achieving a fragile ceasefire.
Iran also said the ceasefire also extends to Lebanon and called on the United States to implement it accordingly.
Foreign Minister Abbas Aragushi cited Sharif’s ceasefire announcement and said, “The United States will be forced to choose between a ceasefire and a continuation of the war via Israel.”
“You can’t have both. The world is watching the genocide in Lebanon. The ball is in the US court,” he wrote to X.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf warned that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon undermine the agreement and risk further escalation.
By contrast, U.S. officials say the fragile ceasefire excludes Lebanon.
When US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, he said it included a “complete and complete cessation of hostilities” between Washington and Tehran. But he later clarified that Lebanon was “another skirmish.”
This position has been reinforced by senior US officials. On Saturday, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who was chosen to lead the United States in talks with Iran in Islamabad, told reporters in Budapest, Hungary, “I think the Iranians thought the ceasefire would include Lebanon, but that actually wasn’t the case.”
Israel takes a similar position. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire “does not bind Israel in Lebanon” and insisted that military operations against Hezbollah would continue.
Why does Iran insist on including Lebanon in ceasefire negotiations?
Speaking in Budapest, Vance also said it would be “stupid” for Iran to jeopardize proposed talks with the United States over Lebanon.
“If Iran wants to break down this negotiation with Iran hurting in a conflict over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with Iran and which the United States has never said is part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice. We think that’s foolish, but that’s their choice.”
However, contrary to Vance’s claims, Lebanon has deep ties to Iran.
Hezbollah is Tehran’s strongest ally in the region and a central figure in the Axis of Resistance, a network of armed groups across the Middle East allied with Iran against Israel, including Yemen’s Houthis and Iraqi militant groups.
The group joined the conflict after Israeli forces killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in an initial attack on Tehran on February 28. Prior to that, Hezbollah had not attacked Israel since the ceasefire went into effect in November 2024, despite near-daily violations of the agreement by Israel.
Among the demands the United States has made to end the war against Iran is for Tehran to end its support for regional allies such as Hezbollah.
A ceasefire that excludes Lebanon risks undermining Iran’s decades-old defense strategy. If attacks against Iran are paused and Hezbollah continues to be targeted, Iran could lose both its influence in weakening allies and credibility within resistance networks.
Moreover, by allowing a key ally to take a hit without a key ally coming to its aid, especially after Iran defends Tehran, Iran would effectively be doing what the United States has asked for: weakening its relationship with Hezbollah.
That’s why analysts say continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon pose the biggest threat to prospects for a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
Professor Andreas Krieg of King’s College London called Lebanon the “Achilles heel” of the ceasefire. “It could force Iran to retaliate against Israel in order to maintain the balance of deterrence and show that Iran is a reliable security partner for Hezbollah,” Krieg told Al Jazeera.
“Israel will try to probe Iran as much as possible to test Iran’s resolve.”
What are other world powers saying?
International reactions have largely focused on condemning the scale of Israel’s attack on Lebanon and calling for Lebanon to join a ceasefire.
Several countries described the attack as a “dangerous escalation.” Qatar condemned the “savage series” of attacks and urged the international community to act.
Egypt said the attack showed a “premeditated intention” by Israel to undermine efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region, while Turkiye warned that the Israeli attack was worsening the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and called for immediate action to protect civilians.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a post on X that Netanyahu’s “contempt for life and international law is unacceptable” in light of the attack.
France also condemned Israel’s attack and called for Lebanon to join the ceasefire.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that Lebanon also needs to join the ceasefire and is expected to reiterate this position in a speech at Mansion House later on Thursday. She said Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon are “completely wrong.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement that “ongoing military activity in Lebanon” posed a “grave risk” to the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
More than 1.2 million people have been displaced in the war-torn country since Israel’s assault on Lebanon began.
