Israeli strikes intensify in Lebanon, casualties reported amid fragile ceasefire
Israeli air strikes intensified across Lebanon on Wednesday, with Lebanese health authorities reporting at least 12 people killed in seven separate attacks targeting vehicles in southern Lebanon and areas south of Beirut.
Among the dead were civilians, including a woman and two children, as well as members of Lebanon’s Civil Defence service. The latest strikes come despite a US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah announced in April, which has repeatedly come under strain amid continued cross-border exchanges of fire.
Israel said it is targeting Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure, while Hezbollah has continued drone and rocket attacks into northern Israel. Fresh strikes were reported near Sidon and along the coastal highway south of Beirut ahead of another round of US-backed talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington.
Lebanese authorities said hundreds have been killed since the ceasefire began, with large-scale displacement continuing across southern Lebanon.
Elsewhere in the region, tensions remained high as the US-Iran ceasefire faced uncertainty, with President Donald Trump describing the truce as “on life support” and rejecting Tehran’s latest proposals.
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted, with hundreds of vessels reportedly stranded in Gulf waters amid continued security risks.
A subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company confirmed that a tanker damaged in a drone attack last week leaked a small amount of fuel off the coast of Oman, raising environmental concerns.
Meanwhile, Bahrain and the United States have backed a UN resolution calling for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and an immediate halt to attacks on commercial shipping. The proposal has received broad international support.
In another development, the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing opened with discussions dominated by the Iran crisis, after a US intelligence assessment reportedly suggested Iran has restored operational access to most of its missile infrastructure along the Strait of Hormuz.
Separately, Kuwait summoned Iran’s envoy following reports of an alleged IRGC incursion near Bubiyan Island, further heightening tensions in the Gulf region.
