Israel launches fresh strikes on Beirut after Iran-US ceasefire
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More news: Israel launched its largest wave of strikes on Lebanon since the outbreak of the conflict on Wednesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office asserted that the ceasefire agreed between the US, Iran and Israel does not include Lebanon.
Residential areas in the central city of Beirut were hit in the strikes on Wednesday, despite being far from the zones currently under Israeli evacuation orders in the city’s south.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed it had completed the strikes, targeting over 100 “Hezbollah headquarters, military arrays, & command-and-control centers in Beirut, Beqaa and southern Lebanon.”
The operation included 50 fighter jets, which launched 160 munitions at 100 targets in 10 minutes, causing panic across the Lebanese city.
Lebanon’s health ministry said dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded in the strikes.
The attack countered comments from Pakistani premier Shehbaz Sharif, who involved in brokering the ceasefire, who said that the US, Iran and their allies “have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon”.
Israel’s military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said Israel would keep hitting Hezbollah to eliminate threats, reported the Wall Street Journal. “We will continue striking the Hezbollah terror organization and will utilize every operational opportunity,” Zamir said. “We will not compromise the security of the residents of northern Israel. We will continue to strike with determination.”
Penny Wong calls for ceasefire to include Lebanon; Iran and Gulf nations report attacks after ceasefire
The news: Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the two-week ceasefire agreed between the US, Israel and Iran should apply to Israel’s operations in Lebanon, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the country would not be included.
The context: In post on X shared shortly after the ceasefire was announced, Netanyahu’s office wrote that Israel supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region. The post continued that Israel support US efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat, but that “the two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon.”
During an interview on ABC’s 7:30 on Wednesday, Wong addressed the Israeli leader’s comments, stating: “Our position is that the world expects that the ceasefire should apply to the region.”
Wong added that while there are “obviously substantial points of difference” between the US and Iran on the agreement, “we all know that the damage that is happening to the global economy, to global energy markets, mean that the world does need this ceasefire to hold.”
The Israel Defense Forces said it had completed the largest coordinated strike across Lebanon since the beginning of the conflict on Wednesday evening, targeting over 100 “Hezbollah headquarters, military arrays, & command-and-control centers in Beirut, Beqaa and southern Lebanon.”
Wong said she had been in communication with several Asian counterparts on ensuring oil imports to Australia. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Richard Marles said ongoing discussions are taking place between Australia and other nations on ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains open and the potential role Australia might play. Marles is currently visiting Japan for talks on regional security and fuel supplies.
The comments come as Gulf nations reported that Iran is still launching attacks despite the ceasefire being in place, with the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain reporting incoming strikes. Earlier on Wednesday Iran said that its Lavan Oil Refinery in the country’s south was hit in a strike. The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company described it as an act of aggression by hostile forces.
