Lebanon’s government said Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds across the country, with the capital Beirut enduring its most intense bombardment since the start of the war with Hezbollah.
Video footage from French news agency AFP has shown plumes of smoke rising above Beirut and its suburbs on Wednesday, while journalists on the ground have described scenes of panic as residents fled the streets.
The Lebanese health ministry issued an urgent appeal for roads in the capital to be cleared to allow ambulances through.
“In a very serious escalation, Israeli warplanes launched a wave of simultaneous airstrikes on several Lebanese areas, resulting in, in an initial count, dozens of martyrs and hundreds of wounded,” the ministry said.
At least 180 people are believed to have been killed and more than 890 injured in the attacks, according to the ministry, with the toll expected to rise further.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strikes formed part of a surprise offensive targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon, describing it as the most significant blow against the group since a 2024 operation involving pager bombs.
The escalation came despite a two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer.
Simultaneous strikes on Beirut appeared to come without warning, triggering chaos as pedestrians ran for safety and drivers sounded their horns to clear the roads.
One strike hit Corniche al-Mazraa, a major thoroughfare in the capital, where buildings were reportedly ablaze and vehicles reduced to wreckage.
Hezbollah, which drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East conflict after launching attacks on Israel on 2 March, had earlier said it was nearing a “historic victory”. However, the group reported no operations against Israel after 1am on Wednesday, around the time the ceasefire took effect.
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Evacuation orders
Despite the truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah would continue. Israeli authorities renewed evacuation orders for areas more than 40 kilometres inside Lebanon, insisting that “the battle in Lebanon is ongoing”.
Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs were again urged to leave, while warnings were issued for buildings in the coastal city of Tyre following nearby strikes. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported multiple attacks across the south.
According to Lebanese officials, Israeli strikes in recent weeks have killed more than 1,500 people and displaced more than a million – particularly in southern and eastern regions and in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah maintains strong influence.
Hezbollah has urged displaced residents not to return to affected areas until a formal and final ceasefire is declared.
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Diplomatic tensions
Lebanese leaders have nonetheless sought to strike a cautiously optimistic tone. President Joseph Aoun welcomed the two-week truce between Tehran and Washington, saying efforts were ongoing to ensure that any broader regional peace would include Lebanon in a “stable and lasting manner”.
He also stressed that decisions on war and peace should rest solely with the Lebanese state.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam echoed that sentiment, calling on international partners to help bring an end to Israeli attacks following the latest deadly strikes.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has played a mediating role in the wider conflict, said the ceasefire between Iran and the United States should apply “everywhere including Lebanon”.
However, Netanyahu has contradicted that interpretation, stating that Lebanon was not covered by the agreement.
A Lebanese official told AFP that authorities had not been informed that the country was not included in the truce – underlining the uncertainty still hanging over the pause in hostilities.
(with newswires)
