100 strikes in 10 mins: Why Lebanon faces biggest Israel attack despite ceasefire

Israel launched over 100 strikes across Lebanon within minutes despite a US-Iran ceasefire, killing over 250 people. Iran says Lebanon was part of the deal, but Israel and US deny it.

In Short

• Lebanon experienced heavy Israeli strikes despite US-Iran ceasefire
• Over 100 targets hit in 10 minutes across Beirut and southern Lebanon
• At least 254 killed and 837 wounded amid ongoing conflict

The announcement of a two-week US-Iran ceasefire was expected to ease tensions across the region, but Lebanon saw the opposite. Within hours, Israel launched its largest coordinated assault of the current war, hitting more than 100 targets in just 10 minutes across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon.

For many on the ground, the ceasefire meant little. Explosions shook Beirut through the day, with thick smoke rising over residential areas and emergency services struggling to respond. At least 254 people were killed and 837 wounded, according to Lebanon’s civil defence agency, as one of the deadliest days of the conflict unfolded despite diplomatic claims of a pause.

LEBANON NOT PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL?

Iran has made it clear that Lebanon was not separate from the ceasefire -- it was part of it. In its proposed 10-point framework, Tehran called for a halt to fighting across all connected fronts, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Iranian officials have since argued that continued attacks in Lebanon go against that understanding. In repose, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, state-run Fars News Agency reported. Iran said tanker traffic on Hormuz would come to a "complete stop", citing ceasefire violations by Israel over its strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

This is where the gap becomes visible. While Iran -- along with Pakistan -- treated Lebanon as part of the ceasefire, the United States and Israel have rejected that view, limiting the agreement to their own conflict and leaving Lebanon outside its scope.

SHEHBAZ SHARIF SAID IT IS

Late on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two-week creasfire covers the entire region, specifically mentioning Lebanon.

"With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY," he wrote on the social media platform X.

Iranian officials also backed that position. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Arghchi shared Sharif’s post on Wednesday, highlighting the part about Lebanon.

"The Iran-US Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the US must choose – ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both. The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments," he added.

NETANYAHU, WHITE HOUSE, TRUMP SAY IT'S NOT

Israel and the United States have maintained that the ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said operations against Hezbollah would continue, and the military confirmed it would keep targeting the group.

"The ceasefire with Iran will not include Hezbollah and Israel will continue to strike them," he said, signalling that military operations against the Lebanon-linked group would continue.

A day after his ceasefire agreement with Iran, US President Donald Trump told PBS News in an interview that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire agreement the US has with Iran "because of Hezbollah" but will "get taken care of."

The White House reiterated that the agreement applies only to the US-Iran conflict. "Lebanon is not part of the cease-fire. That has been relayed to all parties involved in it," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Israel said it targeted Hezbollah command centres, missile infrastructure and military sites, and accused the group of operating from civilian areas. Residents and local officials disputed those claims, particularly in areas where residential buildings were hit without warning.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned the latest Israeli attacks, calling them a continued violation of international laws and agreements. In a statement, it said, "These barbaric attacks, which neither recognize right nor respect any agreements or commitments, have repeatedly demonstrated their contempt for all international laws and norms."

Hezbollah also called the strikes "a grave violation of the ceasefire" and warned of consequences if attacks continue. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also warned of a "regret-inducing response" if Israel’s operations in Lebanon do not stop.

More than 1,500 people have already been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated, and over a million have been displaced. Families who had hoped to return after the ceasefire announcement are once again waiting.

- Ends
With inputs from agencies