Israeli airstrikes struck seven vehicles in Lebanon on Wednesday, killing 12 people including a woman and her two children, as a U.S.-brokered ceasefire less than one month old continues to unravel. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed the casualties following strikes that included three attacks on the main highway just south of Beirut, raising questions about the durability of diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon. Hours earlier, Israel told residents of six southern villages to evacuate. The escalation underscores the fragility of the April 17 ceasefire arrangement and the challenges facing the Trump administration's push for a lasting settlement between the two neighbors.
The Attacks and Casualties
The Health Ministry said the seven airstrikes hit vehicles, but it did not provide full details of the number of people in each vehicle. Two of the drone attacks hit a highway linking Beirut with the southern port city of Sidon, while a third struck the town of Saadiyat near the busy freeway, the state-run National News Agency said. The Health Ministry said those strikes killed eight people in total, including the mother and children.
A fourth strike took place in the early afternoon near the northern entrance of Sidon, leaving one person dead and another wounded, the ministry said. It added that three other drone strikes on cars deeper in southern Lebanon killed three people. An Associated Press photographer saw the bodies of three people killed in two of the strikes near the coastal towns of Barja and Jiyeh.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes were reported in various towns and villages while Hezbollah claimed that it launched additional attacks on Israel as both sides kept exchanging fire despite the ceasefire. Hezbollah also has been using drones in its attacks on Israeli forces.
UN Forces at Risk
The United Nations has accused Hezbollah of drone strikes near its peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, and Secretary-General António Guterres' message to both sides is that they must observe the ceasefire and stop all attacks, U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said. The U.N. peacekeeping force deployed in southern Lebanon known as UNIFIL said Wednesday it was increasingly concerned about fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers near its positions, putting peacekeepers at risk, including with explosions of drones in and around U.N. bases.
UNIFIL said that a presumed Hezbollah drone detonated inside its headquarters in the coastal town of Naqoura on Tuesday, following earlier presumed Hezbollah drone detonations on Monday and Tuesday. No one was injured, but some buildings were damaged. The attacks on international peacekeepers highlight Hezbollah's disregard for neutral forces attempting to maintain stability in the region.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue
Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold another round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday as the Trump administration pushes for a breakthrough between the two neighbors that have been in a state of war since Israel was created in 1948. The latest Israel-Hezbollah war started less than three months ago on March 2, when the Lebanese militant group fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
The Health Ministry said Wednesday that since the war began, 2,896 people have been killed and 8,824 wounded. The mounting casualties and continued violence raise concerns about whether diplomatic engagement can achieve what the ceasefire has failed to deliver: an end to hostilities that threaten regional stability and international security interests.
Why This Matters:
The collapse of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire less than one month after its implementation demonstrates the limitations of diplomatic agreements when militant groups like Hezbollah continue offensive operations. The organization's attacks on UN peacekeeping forces and continued rocket fire into Israel reveal a fundamental disregard for international norms and ceasefire commitments. With nearly 3,000 killed since the conflict began less than three months ago, the humanitarian and security costs continue to mount. The Trump administration's direct talks scheduled for Thursday represent a critical test of whether American diplomatic leverage can produce enforceable agreements that protect both Israeli security interests and regional stability, or whether Iran-backed militant groups will continue to undermine peace efforts regardless of negotiated settlements.