Israel Kills At Least Seven People in New Strikes on Lebanon

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least seven people in Tyre, the state news agency (NNA) reported, escalating tensions hours after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks against northern Israel in response to previous strikes.

The NNA confirmed additional Israeli air strikes on Haboush, Jebchit and a third area between Haboush and Deir Zahrani in Nabatieh, as the conflict continued to unfold despite a fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.

The latest casualties bring the death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon to alarming levels, with more than 250 people killed in strikes by Israel on Wednesday alone, according to previous reports. Lebanon's Civil Defence had reported that Wednesday's attacks, which hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning, killed at least 254 people and wounded at least 837 others.

Hezbollah confirmed its rocket attack on northern Israel. The Lebanese militant group said its response "will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases," marking a significant escalation in the conflict.

The attacks came amid conflicting claims about whether Lebanon was included in the two-week ceasefire announced by Pakistan's Prime Minister. While Pakistan stated Lebanon was part of the deal, both Israel and the US explicitly rejected this claim, creating uncertainty about the status of the fragile truce.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the attacks as targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, claiming they represented "the largest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since Operation Beepers." The Israeli military said it carried out "more than 100 air strikes" across the country on Wednesday, targeting areas in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon.

The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has "unequivocally" condemned Israel's massive strikes, stating he was "deeply alarmed by the mounting civilian toll." Guterres warned that continued military activity risked undermining the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US, emphasizing that "there is no military solution to the conflict."

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to address the situation, with advance extracts indicating she will stress that "Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire between the US and Iran." The International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday expressed outrage over what it called "devastating death and destruction" in densely populated areas across Lebanon.

The escalating violence has created a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, where hospitals have been overwhelmed by the influx of casualties and civilian infrastructure has suffered extensive damage. The conflict has also displaced more than 1.2 million people, exacerbating Lebanon's ongoing economic and social challenges.

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