Israeli strikes on Beirut kill 182, test disputed Iran ceasefire
Lebanon said Israeli airstrikes killed 182 people and wounded 890 others over the past 24 hours, after a wave of strikes hit Beirut and other parts of the country. The attacks were among the deadliest in recent days and came amid confusion over whether Lebanon was covered by a ceasefire announced between Iran and the United States.
According to reports, Israel struck densely populated neighbourhoods, commercial districts and residential areas in and around Beirut. Witness accounts and emergency responders described heavy destruction, fires and panic in busy parts of the Lebanese capital as rescue workers searched through rubble and damaged vehicles.
Israeli officials said Lebanon was not included in the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, arguing that military operations against Hezbollah remain separate from the truce. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both indicated that the fighting in Lebanon would continue despite the broader halt in hostilities with Iran.
Pakistan, which helped mediate the ceasefire, has publicly maintained that Lebanon was included in the understanding. That contradiction has sharpened regional tensions, while Iran has warned that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon could jeopardize the fragile truce and risk pulling the wider conflict back into open escalation.
Reports said Israel struck more than 100 targets within about 10 minutes, in what it described as one of its largest coordinated attacks in the current war. Israeli forces said the targets were linked to Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, while Lebanon’s authorities and local witnesses stressed the scale of destruction in civilian areas.
The latest bombardment comes after more than five weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has already caused severe civilian losses and mass displacement in Lebanon. Since the conflict escalated in early March, thousands of families have fled their homes as airstrikes and cross-border fire intensified across the country.
Lebanon’s health ministry said the overall toll in the current war has now reached 1,739 killed and 5,873 wounded. The rising casualty figures are adding pressure on diplomatic efforts, as regional and international actors try to prevent the Israel-Hezbollah front from collapsing any remaining hopes for a broader ceasefire.
The strikes on Beirut have underscored how fragile and contested the Iran ceasefire remains, especially while the status of Lebanon is still disputed. With Israel pressing ahead against Hezbollah and Iran threatening consequences, the risk of a wider regional breakdown remains high.
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