Israeli airstrikes killed 12 people, including a woman and her two children, in Lebanon on Wednesday. The attacks occurred as the latest conflict, triggered by a U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, continued despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that was established less than one month ago.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that seven Israeli airstrikes struck vehicles across the country. Three of these strikes occurred on the main highway just south of Beirut, with two hitting a highway linking Beirut with the southern port city of Sidon, and a third striking the town of Saadiyat near the busy freeway. These strikes collectively killed eight people, including the mother and her two children.
A fourth strike near the northern entrance of Sidon resulted in one fatality and one injury. Additionally, three other drone strikes on cars deeper in southern Lebanon killed three people, bringing the total reported fatalities from Wednesday's strikes to 12. An Associated Press photographer confirmed seeing the bodies of three individuals killed in two of the strikes near the coastal towns of Barja and Jiyeh.
The State's Instruments of Power
The Israeli military stated its actions targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon. Hours before the strikes, Israel ordered residents of six southern villages to evacuate. Hezbollah, described as a Lebanese militant group, claimed it launched additional attacks on Israel, utilizing drones in its operations against Israeli forces.
Since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began less than three months ago, on March 2, 2,896 people have been killed and 8,824 wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. This conflict was initiated two days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, setting off a new wave of regional destabilization.
Failed Diplomacy, Ongoing War
The United Nations has accused Hezbollah of drone strikes near its peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq conveyed Secretary-General António Guterres’ message urging both sides to observe the ceasefire and cease all attacks. The U.N. peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, deployed in southern Lebanon, expressed increasing concern about fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers near its positions, which places peacekeepers at risk. UNIFIL reported that a presumed Hezbollah drone detonated inside its headquarters in the coastal town of Naqoura on Tuesday, following similar presumed Hezbollah drone detonations on Monday and Tuesday. While no one was injured, some buildings sustained damage.
Despite the ongoing exchange of fire and the failure of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold another round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday. The Trump administration continues to push for a "breakthrough" between the two neighbors, who have been in a continuous state of war since Israel's creation in 1948. These diplomatic efforts occur amidst the escalating violence, highlighting the limitations of managing conflict without addressing the underlying structural conditions that perpetuate it.