Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and other parts of Lebanon left at least 203 people dead and over 1,000 wounded, just hours after a US-Iran ceasefire was announced.
Israel claimed to have targeted Hezbollah leadership, killing an aide to the group's leader, but an expert suggests the scale and speed of the response indicate a deeper intent.
The Carnegie Endowment's Maha Yahya believes Israel had long been preparing for such an operation, using Hezbollah's actions as a trigger.
The roots of the escalation date back to the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, when Hezbollah supported Gaza by waging a low-intensity conflict on Israel's northern borders.
