The Israeli military launched a series of air attacks on Lebanon, resulting in over 250 deaths on Wednesday. This marks the deadliest day since the US-Israel conflict with Iran started almost six weeks ago. On Thursday, Israel also announced that an aide to Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, was killed in these attacks.<\/p>\n
These attacks occurred merely hours after a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced, which had sparked optimism for a de-escalation of hostilities across all fronts in the regional conflict with Iran.<\/p>\n
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government played a role in brokering the agreement, stated on Wednesday that the ceasefire encompassed a halt to attacks on all fronts, explicitly naming Lebanon, where Israel claims to be targeting the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. However, both Israel and the US dispute this interpretation, asserting that the cessation of hostilities applies solely to engagements between the US, Israel, and Iran. US President Donald Trump clarified on Wednesday that the Israeli attacks on Lebanon were a separate matter.<\/p>\n
This recent surge in violence has brought to light significant disagreements and confusion regarding the ceasefire’s scope, fueling concerns that it might collapse even before permanent settlement negotiations can begin. These talks are scheduled to start in Islamabad on Saturday.<\/p>\n
What attacks has Israel conducted in Lebanon since the ceasefire announcement?<\/p>\n
Hours after the ceasefire was declared on Wednesday, Israel initiated its most extensive attacks since March 2, when clashes with Hezbollah first erupted, hitting over 100 targets throughout Lebanon. Lebanon’s civil defense reported at least 254 fatalities and 1,165 injuries from air attacks targeting Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon, including heavily populated areas. In a written statement, Elias Chlela, head of Lebanon’s syndicate of doctors, issued an urgent plea for “all physicians from all specialties” to report to any available hospital to assist, while one of Beirut’s largest hospitals indicated a critical need for blood donations of all types. The United Nations characterized the casualty figures as “appalling,” with its human rights chief, Volker Turk, describing the destruction as “horrific.”<\/p>\n
Israel asserted, without offering evidence, that its targets were Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. However, Lebanese officials and aid organizations reported widespread devastation in entire neighborhoods, with hospitals overwhelmed and emergency services struggling to manage. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri condemned the attacks on densely populated areas as a “full-fledged war crime.” “Today’s crime coincided with the ceasefire agreement declared in the region \u2013 an agreement that Israel and its political and security apparatus have failed to uphold,” he stated.<\/p>\n
How have countries involved in the ceasefire responded?<\/p>\n
The primary diplomatic contention currently revolves around whether Lebanon is covered by the ceasefire, as officials from the US, Iran, Israel, and Pakistan have presented conflicting interpretations of the agreement. In an X post on Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister 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.” Pakistan has served as the central mediator in securing this delicate ceasefire.<\/p>\n
Iran also affirmed that the truce encompasses Lebanon and urged the US to ensure its enforcement in that regard. Citing Sharif’s ceasefire announcement, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the “US must choose between a ceasefire or continued war via Israel.” “It cannot have both. The world witnesses the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US’ court,” he posted on X. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf cautioned that ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon would jeopardize the agreement and risk further escalation.<\/p>\n
In contrast, US officials have maintained that the fragile truce does not include Lebanon. When US President Donald Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran, he stated it involved “a complete and total cessation of hostilities” between Washington and Tehran. However, he later clarified that Lebanon was “a separate skirmish.” This stance has been reiterated by senior US officials. “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t,” US Vice President JD Vance, appointed to lead US talks with Iran in Islamabad on Saturday, told reporters in Budapest, Hungary. Israel has adopted the same position. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the ceasefire “does not bind Israel in Lebanon” and that military operations against Hezbollah would persist.<\/p>\n
Why is Iran insisting on Lebanon’s inclusion in the ceasefire talks?<\/p>\n
Speaking in Budapest, Vance also remarked that it would be “dumb” for Iran to jeopardize the proposed talks with the US over Lebanon. “If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered, over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice. We think that’s dumb, but it’s their choice,” he stated. However, contrary to Vance’s assertions, Lebanon holds significant importance for Iran.<\/p>\n
Hezbollah stands as Tehran’s most potent regional ally and a core component of the “axis of resistance,” a network of armed groups across the Middle East aligned with Iran against Israel, encompassing Yemen’s Houthis and various armed factions in Iraq. The group became involved in the conflict after the Israeli army killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in its initial attacks on Tehran on February 28. Prior to this, Hezbollah had not attacked Israel since a ceasefire took effect in November 2024, despite almost daily Israeli violations of the agreement.<\/p>\n
One of the US demands for ending the war with Iran is that Tehran cease its support for regional allies like Hezbollah. A ceasefire that excludes Lebanon risks undermining Iran’s long-standing defense strategy. If Hezbollah remains a target while attacks on Iran are paused, Tehran could lose both its leverage \u2013 through a weakened ally \u2013 and its credibility among its network of resistance groups. Moreover, by permitting a crucial ally to be heavily attacked without offering assistance, particularly after Hezbollah had come to Tehran’s defense, Iran would effectively be fulfilling a US demand: weakening its ties with Hezbollah.<\/p>\n
Analysts suggest that the ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon therefore pose the most significant threat to the prospects of a US-Iran ceasefire. Andreas Krieg, a professor at King’s College London, referred to Lebanon as the ceasefire’s “Achilles heel.” He told Al Jazeera that it “might force Iran to retaliate against Israel to maintain the balance of deterrence and demonstrate that Iran is a reliable security partner for Hezbollah.” “Israel will try to probe Iran where it can to test its resolve.”<\/p>\n
What have other world powers stated?<\/p>\n
International reactions have largely centered on condemning the extent of Israeli attacks on Lebanon and advocating for Lebanon’s inclusion in the ceasefire. Several nations characterized the attacks as a “dangerous escalation.” Qatar condemned what it termed a “brutal series” of attacks and implored the international community to intervene. Egypt stated that the attacks revealed a “premeditated intent” by Israel to sabotage regional de-escalation efforts, while Turkey warned that Israel’s attacks were exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and called for immediate measures to protect civilians. In an X post, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared that Netanyahu’s “contempt for life and international law is intolerable” given these attacks. France also condemned Israel’s attacks, simultaneously advocating for Lebanon’s inclusion in the ceasefire.<\/p>\n
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper informed the BBC that Lebanon must also be part of the ceasefire \u2013 a position she is anticipated to reaffirm in a speech at the Mansion House in London later on Thursday. She described Israel’s ongoing assaults on Lebanon as “completely wrong.” Over 1.2 million people have been displaced in the war-torn country since Israeli attacks on Lebanon commenced. UN chief Antonio Guterres stated that the “ongoing military activity in Lebanon” poses a “grave risk” to the ceasefire between the US and Iran. Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, noted that Israeli actions were placing the ceasefire under “severe strain” and that the truce “should extend to Lebanon.” Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also urged Israel to halt its assault on Lebanon, stating that it has “disrespected” the ongoing truce, while Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called on Israel to restrict its military operations in Lebanon to “self-defense.”<\/p>\n
#USIranCeasefire #LebanonAttacks #IsraelHezbollah #MiddleEastConflict #Diplomacy #WarCrimes #HumanitarianCrisis #RegionalStability #InternationalLaw #Geopolitics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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