Beirut hit by most coordinated Israeli strikes to date as diplomatic confusion mounts over regional truce
The Israeli military conducted its most intensive coordinated aerial campaign against Hezbollah positions on Wednesday, striking the heart of Beirut and leaving dozens dead and hundreds wounded. The escalation occurred amidst significant diplomatic friction, as Israel maintains that a newly brokered 15-day US-Iran ceasefire does not extend to operations in Lebanon.
Unprecedented scale of urban strikes
In a rapid 10-minute window, Israeli forces targeted approximately 100 command centers and military infrastructure points across Lebanon. Unlike previous engagements, several strikes hit central Beirut during peak traffic hours without prior evacuation warnings, triggering widespread chaos as civilians abandoned vehicles to flee the impact zones.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported mass casualties and urged residents to clear roadways immediately to facilitate emergency medical access. Eyewitness accounts described devastating scenes in the capital's commercial districts, with local shopkeepers reporting civilian fatalities, including children, in the immediate aftermath of the explosions.
Diplomatic dissonance over ceasefire terms
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have both confirmed that the truce initiated by US President Donald Trump is restricted to direct Iran-Israel hostilities. "The battle in Lebanon continues," the IDF stated, characterizing the Wednesday operation as the "harshest blow" to Hezbollah since the coordinated device explosions of September 2024.
Conversely, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, acting as a mediator, claimed that all parties had accepted a universal ceasefire. While Hezbollah has not officially responded to the truce reports, the group has notably ceased claiming responsibility for attacks against Israel since early Wednesday morning.
Humanitarian impact and regional escalation
The Lebanese government has issued an urgent appeal for international intervention to halt the offensive. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on "all friends of Lebanon" to utilize every available diplomatic channel to end the strikes, which have already displaced over one million people.
The IDF has since issued further evacuation orders for southern Beirut and vast areas reaching 40 km north of the Israeli border. Since the conflict's inception on March 2, Israeli operations in Lebanon have resulted in more than 1,500 fatalities, according to official Lebanese records.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
