Israel Launches Attack on Lebanon-250 People Reported Dead – Iran America War
Lebanon’s Civil Defense service reported that at least 254 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured across the country following the latest attacks. The highest number of casualties was reported in Beirut, where 91 people lost their lives.
Israel carried out its most intense attacks on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah began last month, leaving more than 250 people dead on Wednesday. The strikes came even after the Iran-backed group had temporarily halted its attacks under a two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, raising serious questions about regional peace efforts.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that a ceasefire in Lebanon was a key condition of the agreement between Iran and the United States. However, heavy explosions shook the Lebanese capital Beirut, where at least five powerful blasts were heard in succession, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky. The Israel Defense Forces said it had launched its largest coordinated operation of the war, targeting more than 100 Hezbollah command centers and military facilities across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within a span of just ten minutes.
According to Lebanon’s civil defense service, 254 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured across the country, with Beirut reporting the highest death toll of 91 people. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health confirmed 182 deaths nationwide, noting that the number could rise as rescue operations continue. Officials described the day as the deadliest since the conflict began.
The conflict started on March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel in support of Tehran, two days after strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign on both land and air fronts.
Journalists from Reuters reported scenes of chaos in Beirut. Rescue workers were seen using a crane to evacuate an elderly woman from a damaged building in the city’s western district after half of the structure collapsed, trapping residents on the upper floors. Earlier, locals were seen transporting the wounded to hospitals on motorcycles due to a shortage of ambulances.
One of Beirut’s largest medical centers appealed for blood donations of all groups to treat the growing number of injured victims. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights chief Volker Türk condemned the scale of the violence, calling the killings and destruction in Lebanon “horrifying.” He said it was hard to believe that such devastation occurred only hours after a ceasefire agreement involving Iran.
In a televised address on Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire with Iran and that Israeli forces would continue their operations against Hezbollah with full force. Meanwhile, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance also clarified that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire arrangement.