Lebanon thought there was a ceasefire – then Israel unleashed deadly blitz

Lebanon Thought There Was a Ceasefire – Then Israel Unleashed Deadly Blitz

The Ceasefire Promise and the Surprise Attack

Lebanon had hoped for calm after a two-week truce was declared. US President Donald Trump had announced the agreement just hours earlier, aiming to halt the Middle East conflict. Yet, as relief settled in, Israeli jets launched a 10-minute aerial assault, devastating the country. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the strike claimed at least 203 lives and injured over 1,000, marking a brutal escalation.

International Reactions and US Stance

Local leaders and Western nations swiftly condemned the attack, but the US remained silent. Iran called it a “grave violation” of the ceasefire and urged the US to stop Israel’s “aggression.” Lebanese officials reported more than 1,700 deaths since Israel’s latest campaign began last month, highlighting the toll of ongoing hostilities.

“A mass murder,” said President Joseph Aoun, describing the attack as a tragic event. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam added that civilians were among those hit, calling the casualties “martyrs and wounded.”

The War’s Origins and Ceasefire Negotiations

The conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against Gulf allies and attacks by Iran’s proxies—Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen—on Israel. In response, Israel targeted Hezbollah, even sending troops into significant areas of Lebanon.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif brokered the ceasefire, stating the US and its allies had agreed to a pause “everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere.” The upcoming talks in Islamabad on Friday will focus on a US 15-point plan and an Iranian 10-point counter-proposal. Iran’s plan demands an end to fighting across all fronts, emphasizing its support for Lebanon’s resistance.

Israel’s Justification and Unverified Claims

Israeli officials asserted their operations targeted “100+ Hezbollah headquarters, military arrays, and command-and-control centers” in Beirut, Bekaa, and southern Lebanon. The IDF claimed to have completed the “largest coordinated strike since Operation Roaring Lion,” which was its campaign against Iran. However, the BBC could not confirm the elimination of Ali Yusuf Harshi, Hezbollah’s secretary to Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

“Lebanon was not part of the deal because of Hezbollah,” said Donald Trump, framing the conflict in Lebanon as a “separate skirmish.”

A Shock to Beirut and Lingering Aftermath

The air over Beirut darkened at 14:00 local time, catching residents off guard. A 10-storey residential building in Tallet el Khayat, a wealthy western Beirut neighborhood, was reduced to rubble. Civil defense teams scrambled to recover bodies, though many families still search for missing loved ones. Ziad Samir Itani, leading the recovery efforts, called the attack “new to Beirut,” noting teams were exhausted after six weeks of relentless strikes.

Densely populated zones in central Beirut bore the brunt of the assault, with officials reporting some of the heaviest hits since Hezbollah joined the war in March. The strike also struck the city center, beyond Hezbollah’s traditional stronghold of Dahieh. Despite the destruction, Hezbollah’s only response was launching rockets toward Israel hours later.

The Ongoing Struggle and Uncertain Future

Israel continues its operations, claiming to have killed “70+ terrorists” and targeting key Hezbollah figures. Yet, the absence of verified reports raises questions about the scale of the impact. As Beirut mourns, the ceasefire remains fragile, with tensions simmering over whether the deal truly encompassed Lebanon or left its allies vulnerable to further strikes.