Israel bombs Lebanon after ceasefire

Following the announcement of a truce between the US and Iran, Israel launched large-scale strikes against Lebanon, which provoked a sharp reaction from the international community. The escalation threatens to disrupt peace talks and spark a new wave of conflict in the Middle East.

Massive strikes on Lebanon

Israel has launched one of the most powerful attacks on Lebanon since the beginning of the war. According to international media, more than 200 people were killed in just one day, and the strikes hit Beirut and other major cities.

The aircraft reportedly hit more than 100 targets, including densely populated areas, causing significant civilian casualties.

Why it happened after the ceasefire

The truce between the US and Iran was brokered by Pakistan and was supposed to last at least two weeks.

However, Israel has stated that the agreement does not apply to Lebanon and operations against Hezbollah«, and continued military operations.

This led to different interpretations of the agreements:

• Iran and Pakistan insist that Lebanon is part of the ceasefire
• The US and Israel consider this area a separate conflict

The world's reaction and the threat of peace disruption

The international community reacted sharply to Israel's actions.

• UN calls strikes «horrific»
• EU and UK call for immediate end to attacks
• leaders of a number of countries warned of the risk of a large-scale escalation

Iran has already stated that such actions could make the negotiations meaningless and threatened new steps in response.

How does this threaten the world

An escalation in Lebanon could have global consequences:

• disruption of negotiations between the US and Iran
• A new round of war in the Middle East
• the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz
• a sharp rise in oil prices

There are already tensions in the energy markets and fears of a new crisis.

Context.

The conflict escalated after the joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Since then, fighting has spread to several countries in the region, including Lebanon.

Despite diplomats' attempts to stabilise the situation, the latest strikes cast doubt on the very possibility of peace in the near future.