Israel strikes Beirut after Iran ceasefire
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- Israel conducted its largest coordinated strike of the current war, hitting over 100 Hezbollah-linked targets across Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley within 10 minutes.
- Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported dozens killed and hundreds wounded in the attacks, with casualty numbers expected to rise as rescue operations continue.
- The Israeli military stated the truce with Iran did not extend to its conflict with Hezbollah, contradicting mediator Pakistan's assertion that the ceasefire covered all fronts.
- Rescue workers searched through rubble in densely populated commercial and residential districts of central Beirut, where strikes hit without warning.
- Iran was named in the context of a newly announced ceasefire, though the agreement’s scope became immediately contested following Israel’s strikes in Lebanon.
Why it matters: The strikes kill dozens and escalate regional tensions hours after a ceasefire, exposing a critical divergence in how parties interpret the truce. Pakistan’s role as mediator is undermined by Israel’s exclusion of Hezbollah from the ceasefire, making de-escalation harder and increasing immediate humanitarian toll in Beirut.
