The Israeli military carried out a wave of air attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday, killing more than 250 people in the bloodiest day since the US-Israel war on Iran began nearly six weeks ago. The strikes came just hours after the announcement of a two-week United States-Iran ceasefire had raised hopes of de-escalation on all fronts in the conflict that has spread across the region.
Lebanon's Civil Defence reported at least 254 killed and 1,165 wounded in air attacks on Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon, including densely populated areas. The head of Lebanon's doctors' syndicate, Elias Chlela, urgently called for "all physicians from all specialities" to head to any available hospital to offer help, with one of Beirut's largest hospitals appealing for donations of all blood types.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the ceasefire "does not bind Israel in Lebanon" and that military operations against Hezbollah would continue. US Vice President JD Vance stated that Iranians supposedly believed the ceasefire included Lebanon, but it did not. He also remarked it would be "dumb" for Iran to jeopardize negotiations with the US over Lebanon.
International reaction has largely focused on condemning the scale of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and calling for Lebanon's inclusion in the ceasefire. Several countries described the attacks as a "dangerous escalation." Qatar condemned what it called a "brutal series" of attacks and urged the international community to act. Egypt said the attacks demonstrated a "premeditated intent" by Israel to undermine regional de-escalation efforts.
Analysts warn that the continuation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon poses the biggest threat to the prospects of the US-Iran ceasefire. King's College London professor Andreas Krieg termed Lebanon the "Achilles' heel" of the ceasefire. He stated: "It might force Iran to retaliate against Israel to maintain deterrence balance and show Iran is a reliable security partner for Hezbollah. Israel will try to probe Iran where it can to test its resolve."
Source: www.aljazeera.com