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Why is Israel attacking Lebanon while a US‑Iran ceasefire is in effect?
Israel has launched major airstrikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, leading to heavy damage and deaths.
Israel carried out what it called its biggest wave of air strikes in the current conflict, hitting more than 100 locations across Lebanon in just 10 minutes. These places were described as Hezbollah command centers and military sites. The attacks targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the strikes on Wednesday killed at least 112 people and injured 837. The country’s civil defence reported a higher toll, saying 254 people were killed and more than 1,100 were injured. Overall, the conflict has now killed more than 1,500 people, including 130 children, as per BBC.
The strikes happened just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied Pakistan’s claim that a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran also included Lebanon. Later, US President Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire.
After the attacks, there was widespread destruction across the country. Hospitals were overwhelmed and some people were trapped under collapsed buildings. The worst-hit areas included the southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, places where Hezbollah has strong influence.
Why did the latest escalation begin?
The current fighting started after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel. This was in response to two things, the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the early phase of the US-Israel war against Iran, and the near-daily Israeli attacks on Lebanon that continued even after a ceasefire was agreed in November 2024, according to the BBC.
Israel says its military actions are aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and pushing its fighters away from the border. Israeli officials had also made it clear that they planned to continue operations in Lebanon even after a ceasefire deal with Iran. Some military sources, quoted by Israeli media, said the army does not plan to move further into Lebanon but also admitted they would not be able to disarm Hezbollah by force.
Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks since the Iran ceasefire deal was announced. The group said it is on the "threshold of a major historic victory" and warned displaced families to wait for a formal ceasefire before returning home.
At the same time, Hezbollah has faced criticism inside Lebanon, with many people blaming it for pulling the country into a war it did not want. Still, the group continues to have strong support among Lebanon’s Shia Muslim community, according to the BBC.
Observers have also been surprised by Hezbollah’s military strength in this conflict, as many believed it had been badly weakened after its last war. The group has continued to launch rockets and drones into northern Israel and has also fought Israeli troops on the ground in southern Lebanon.
Also Read: Not consulted, informed late: Israel ‘unhappy’ over limited role in US-Iran truce
The human cost and displacement crisis
Apart from the deaths and injuries from this week’s attacks, the overall suffering from the conflict has been very high. More than 1.2 million people and about one in five people in Lebanon’s population of 5.9 million have been forced to leave their homes which includes 350,000 children. This has made it one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world, according to Al Jazeera.
The area affected is also very large. Israel’s evacuation orders now cover more than 1,470 square kilometers, or about 14 percent of Lebanon’s land. This is close to the roughly 19 percent of Ukraine that is currently under Russian occupation, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Many villages near the border have been destroyed as Israeli troops try to create what they call a security buffer zone. Schools that are now being used as shelters are overcrowded and many people are living in temporary tents, public places or even in their cars. The situation has also increased tensions between communities, as some people fear they could also become targets.
Israel has also hit important bridges and roads in southern Lebanon to cut off and isolate areas. According to Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, if these bridges are destroyed then it "will essentially isolate the western Bekaa from the rest of Lebanon" and make it very hard for people to reach hospitals and other public services.
