&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Lebanon excluded from US‑Iran ceasefire deal because of Hezbollah, Trump says; Israel hits 100 targets")
Israel carried out its most intense air campaign on Lebanon since the outbreak of the current conflict, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon in roughly ten minutes, the Israeli military said. The assault came hours after the announcement of a temporary two‑week US–Iran ceasefire. Meanwhile, in a brief exchange with a PBS correspondent, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Lebanon was excluded from the truce because of Hezbollah.
Heaviest Israeli strikes since conflict began
Israel struck Hezbollah targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon within about ten minutes, the Israeli military said. Earlier, Israel had also made clear that the truce did not extend to its operations against the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry said the strikes killed dozens and wounded hundreds, with ambulances unable to keep up with the wounded and emergency responders tackling fires and collapsed vehicles across the country.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel backed US President's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks but that the “temporary ceasefire does not include Lebanon”.
Trump on Lebanon’s Exclusion
In a brief exchange with PBS correspondent Liz Landers after the Pentagon briefing, Trump addressed Lebanon’s exclusion from the temporary US–Iran ceasefire. He said, “Yeah, they were not included in the deal… Because of Hezbollah. That’ll get taken care of too. It’s alright.” When asked if he was comfortable with Israel continuing strikes in Lebanon, Trump replied, “It’s part of the deal—everyone knows that. That’s a separate skirmish.”
Hezbollah pauses firing, conflicting ceasefire claims
Three Lebanese sources close to Hezbollah told Reuters that the group halted attacks on northern Israel and Israeli troops in Lebanon in the early hours of Wednesday as part of the US‑Iran ceasefire agreement. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the deal, had said the truce would apply “everywhere, including Lebanon”. The differing positions have underscored confusion over the scope of the ceasefire, even as diplomatic channels work to solidify terms.
The strikes left Beirut’s streets filled with smoke and chaos, with residents and emergency responders rushing to assist the wounded. Lebanon’s Social Affairs Minister, Haneen Sayed, described the Israeli strikes as “absolutely shocking and stunning” and “unacceptable".
