Ask Onix
Israel launches widespread strikes across Lebanon
The Israeli military initiated a series of airstrikes in Lebanon on Tuesday, targeting Hezbollah positions in the Bekaa Valley and other regions following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to intensify offensive operations against the Iran-backed group.
Hezbollah retaliates with drone and rocket attacks
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 22 drone and rocket strikes in response, directing fire at Israeli military sites, including troops, tanks, barracks, and infrastructure. The group accused Israel of violating a recently extended 45-day ceasefire, which has seen sporadic clashes despite the truce.
Netanyahu orders 'crushing blow' against Hezbollah
In a video statement released Monday evening, Netanyahu declared Israel was "at war with Hezbollah" and instructed the military to "increase the intensity" of strikes. He stated that Israeli forces had already "eliminated over 600 terrorists" but insisted further escalation was necessary.
"What this requires of us now is to increase the strikes, to increase the intensity."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Calls for expanded military campaign grow in Israel
Two far-right Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, urged the government to broaden the offensive, including potential operations in Beirut. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Diplomatic efforts continue amid rising casualties
Officials from Lebanon and Israel, which lack formal diplomatic ties, are scheduled to hold further negotiations in Washington next week. The talks follow a ceasefire agreement signed on April 16, though Israeli strikes have largely remained concentrated in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops maintain a presence.
The Bekaa Valley, targeted in Monday's strikes, lies near Lebanon's eastern border with Syria. The area has become a focal point in the conflict, which escalated after Hezbollah launched retaliatory attacks following an Israeli strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in late February.
Humanitarian crisis deepens as displacement surges
Since the initial ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, including numerous paramedics and emergency workers, according to local reports. Meanwhile, ten Israeli soldiers have died in the same period.
Israel has issued near-daily evacuation orders for Lebanese civilians in southern regions, displacing over one million people. The Lebanese government has struggled to disarm Hezbollah, arguing that a ceasefire is critical to managing the complex process.
Iran pushes for regional ceasefire amid tensions
As Israel expanded its campaign, Iran reiterated its demand for a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts as part of an emerging peace deal with the U.S. Israel's government has resisted calls to end its offensive against Hezbollah, framing the group as a persistent security threat.
