Israel's Lebanon Strikes Defy US-Iran Ceasefire: What's Behind the Escalation?

Israel has launched major airstrikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, leading to heavy damage and deaths.

Image source: Internet

Israel launched its biggest wave of air strikes in the current conflict, hitting over 100 locations across Lebanon in just 10 minutes. The attacks targeted Hezbollah command centers and military sites in the southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

At least 112 people were killed and 837 injured, according to Lebanon's health ministry, while the country's civil defence reported a higher toll of 254 killed and over 1,100 injured.

The strikes happened just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied Pakistan's claim that a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran also included Lebanon.

The current fighting started after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and near-daily Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Israel says its military actions are aimed at destroying Hezbollah's military infrastructure and pushing its fighters away from the border.

Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks since the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, but the group continues to have strong support among Lebanon's Shia Muslim community.

The conflict has resulted in over 1.2 million people being forced to leave their homes, making it one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world.