Israel carries out large wave of air strikes across Lebanon

 

Israeli attacks on several areas of Lebanon have left communities devastated during the current conflict (Image: Getty Images)

There have been numerous reports of casualties throughout Lebanon as a result of the Israeli military's extensive air strikes. Hospitals have been overwhelmed, and people are believed to be hiding beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings. More than 100 of what Israel called Hezbollah's command centers and military sites were hit in ten minutes, making it the largest airstrike wave in this conflict, Israel said. Attacks hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

 This happened hours after the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, denied the assertion by Pakistan, which helped mediate a ceasefire between the US and Iran, that the deal also covered the devastating conflict here.

 Over 1,500 people, including 130 children, have been killed across Lebanon. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced - one in five of the population - most of them from Shia Muslim communities in the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut, areas where Hezbollah holds sway.

 Villages near the border have been destroyed, as invading Israeli troops aim to create what the Israeli authorities call a security buffer zone, to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure and push its fighters away.  As a result, there are concerns that many residents may never be able to return to their homes and that some areas may continue to be occupied even after the war has ended. The Lebanese presidency stated that it would continue "efforts to include Lebanon in regional peace" after the ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began at the end of February.

READ MORE: What we know about the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran

Hezbollah, which has not claimed any attack since the deal was announced, said the group was on the "threshold of a major historic victory" and warned displaced families to wait for a formal ceasefire announcement before trying to return home.

 In response to near-daily Israeli attacks on Lebanon despite a ceasefire in the country that had been agreed upon in November 2024, Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the killing of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the early stages of the war. This was the latest escalation in the decades-long conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Even if there was a deal with Iran, Israeli officials had indicated that they would continue their campaign in Lebanon. However, military sources recently cited by Israeli media suggested that the army did not intend to continue their invasion and acknowledged that they would not be able to forcefully disarm Hezbollah.

Israel attacked Tyre (pictured), Nabatieh, Sidon and Beirut on Wednesday despite the ceasefire announcement (Image: Reuters)

Since it was widely believed that Hezbollah had been severely weakened in their previous conflict, observers have expressed surprise at the group's military capabilities in this conflict. The group has frequently launched rockets and drones into northern Israel but confronted Israeli troops on the ground in southern Lebanon.

 In Lebanon, however, 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.  But the group still enjoys significant support among Lebanese Shia.

 The war-induced displacement crisis has increased the country's already-strained situation. Many people are sleeping in improvised tents in public areas and even in cars in schools that have been converted into shelters. There has been a rise in sectarian tensions as families have moved into other communities, and people are worried that they will be the next victims 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.  But, so far, the group has refused to discuss the future of its weapons.

President Joseph Aoun, a former army chief, had ruled out using force, warning that this could exacerbate divisions and lead to violence.  His government made a historic statement in response to the most recent escalation, declaring that it was willing to negotiate directly with Israel, despite the fact that the two countries do not have diplomatic ties. But, Israel, so far, has ignored the offer.

Source: BBC