Israel fires more than 120 airstrikes at Lebanon and says it is escalating offensive

Israel launches over 120 airstrikes on Lebanon, deepening offensive amid fragile ceasefire

Israel launched over 120 airstrikes against Lebanon on Tuesday, marking one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was escalating its offensive against Hezbollah. Lebanese security sources reported the strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, according to multiple outlets including Reuters and The Guardian.

Coverage comparison

The scale and timing of the strikes were consistent across all reporting. The Guardian, in two separate dispatches, framed the event primarily through its humanitarian toll, noting the impact on Eid al-Adha celebrations and the broader displacement crisis. The South China Morning Post, drawing on Reuters reporting, emphasized the military escalation and the locations of the strikes, including near the Beaufort Castle and the Qaraoun Dam, without adding independent casualty figures beyond the official ones.

All three sources cited a US-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16 as being severely strained by the raids. Iran separately accused the United States of violating a truce by striking southern Iran, a claim that appeared in both The Guardian's and SCMP's coverage.

Key claims

• Casualties and damage: Lebanon's health ministry reported that Israeli strikes had killed 31 people and wounded 40, according to state news agency NNA, as reported by Reuters and The Guardian. Among the dead were 14 people in the town of Burj al-Shamali in southern Lebanon, including two children and three women. Another strike on the eastern village of Mashghara killed 12 people, including several members of the same family, according to Lebanon's national news agency.
• Locations struck: Israeli strikes hit areas across southern and eastern Lebanon, including near the nearly 900-year-old Beaufort Castle and at least three near the Qaraoun Dam, Lebanon's largest water reservoir, according to Lebanon's National News Agency as reported by Reuters.
• Israeli objective: Netanyahu stated that the military was "operating with large forces in the field and capturing and controlling areas," and was "fortifying the security strip to protect the northern communities" in Israel, in reference to a self-declared security zone several kilometers inside southern Lebanon.
• Ceasefire context: The April 16 ceasefire was already fragile, and Tuesday's strikes appeared to bring it close to total collapse, according to The Guardian. Iran has made ending Israel's offensive in Lebanon a condition for any deal with Washington, complicating broader negotiations.
• Displacement and casualties: Over 1 million people in Lebanon have been displaced in the latest round of hostilities, according to one report. At least 3,213 have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the war, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. On the Israeli side, 23 soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel.

Perspectives

Israel: Netanyahu, facing a tough re-election battle later this month, is under domestic pressure to show results against Hezbollah, especially as few of the war's apparent aims have been achieved. Israeli officials argue that the strikes target Hezbollah military infrastructure used to attack Israeli communities.

Hezbollah and Lebanon: Lebanese officials and residents describe the strikes as collective punishment and a violation of sovereignty, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam noting that Eid al-Adha has come while the country "is still enduring the most difficult circumstances, of war, destruction, and tragedies." Unverified reports suggest Hezbollah has not yet launched a major retaliation.

Iran: Tehran, which backs Hezbollah, accused the US of violating a separate truce by striking southern Iran, and reiterated that an end to Israel's Lebanon offensive is a prerequisite for any deal with Washington.

International observers: The US-brokered ceasefire appears close to collapse, complicating efforts to end the broader Israel-Iran war. The strikes' proximity to cultural heritage sites like Beaufort Castle has drawn concern, though no official UNESCO statements have been reported.