Since March 2, at least a thousand people have been killed, including at least a hundred children, in Israeli attacks on Lebanon, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The strikes have displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon, the Lebanese government reported. Wednesday's airstrikes were one of the deadliest attacks since the country's civil war ended in 1990, with 160 bombs dropped over 100 targets in ten minutes, killing over 300 and injuring at least 1,150, Lebanon's health ministry stated. UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the scale of killing and destruction, calling it horrific and questioning the timing after a ceasefire agreement.
The conflict escalated after Hezbollah entered the wider Iran war by firing rockets at Israel on March 2, drawing Lebanon into the war, multiple reports indicate. Israel has since conducted large-scale attacks, especially in southern parts, breaking the November 2024 truce. Since Hezbollah's latest attack, Israel has launched multiple waves of strikes across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas, research shows.
Israel's military strategy involves significant ground operations. High-level unnamed sources told Axios that Israel plans to expand ground operations in Lebanon to take over the entire area south of the Litani River and eliminate Hezbollah's military infrastructure, in the largest Israeli offensive since 2006. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will occupy the entire area south of the Litani River, about a tenth of Lebanon's area. The Israeli military reiterated its call for residents south of Lebanon's Litani river to flee the area.
Specific deadly attacks have occurred across southern Lebanon. Four people were killed in an attack on a city in southern Lebanon, two in a separate attack on a Palestinian refugee camp, and three in the Nabatiyca province in southern Lebanon, multiple reports indicate. In Ghazieh, southern Lebanon, an Israeli attack flattened a building, with destroyed solar panels and rescuers searching through the debris, research shows. In Sir al-Gharbiyeh, at least 11 people were killed in Israeli morning strikes on the village, Lebanon's health ministry reported.
Child casualties have been severe. Since March 2, 91 children have been killed and 275 injured, UNICEF reported. Lebanese authorities stated that 124 children have been killed and 409 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The toll in Sir al-Gharbiyeh included children, and there are still people trapped under the rubble, Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said.
Healthcare workers and facilities have been heavily targeted. Since the war reignited on March 2, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 54 health professionals as of Sunday, the Lebanese health ministry reported. Nine healthcare workers were killed and seven injured in five different Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Saturday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated. The Israeli military argues that Hezbollah’s use of medical facilities makes them legitimate military targets under international law, but does not offer evidence. Hezbollah denies conducting militant activities within civilian sites, and there has been no independent verification of its use of hospitals for military purposes.
Diplomatic efforts have been complicated by confusion over a truce. The U.S. sent a 15-point peace plan to Iran via Pakistan, according to sources to the New York Times and Israeli Channel 12. The peace plan includes points on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for free navigation and Iran committing to refrain from developing nuclear weapons, multiple reports indicate. Iran and Pakistan said Lebanon was included in the ceasefire deal to secure a two-week pause, but Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the White House said it was not, according to multiple reports.
Iran's role includes maritime policy and regional involvement. Iran plans to expand the number of ships allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, stating in a letter to the UN's International Maritime Organization that non-hostile ships can pass in cooperation with Iranian authorities, according to Iran in a letter. Iran's letter states that ships linked to the U.S. and Israel, or other countries participating in aggression, cannot be considered innocent or non-hostile, Iran in a letter stated.
International reactions have included calls for diplomacy. Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam believes Israel's attacks violate international law. Leaders in France and Germany expressed concern and want the truce between the U.S. and Iran to also apply in Lebanon, with Pakistan also stating Lebanon should be included, multiple reports indicate. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized diplomatic paths still exist for a solution and appealed for economic support to help the around 800,000 displaced Lebanese.
The humanitarian crisis is severe, with displacement overwhelming shelters and hospitals. The UN estimates 820,000 people are now displaced in Lebanon, including over 290,000 children. Only about 130,000 displaced people are in shelters, multiple reports indicate. Witnesses described a ring of fire and an absolute massacre, with hospitals overwhelmed by casualties, many civilians.
Israeli claims and military actions extend beyond Lebanon. Israel's air force conducted airstrikes against targets in Iran, with 50 fighter jets hitting infrastructure targets including a weapons factory and a long-range weapons development site, the IDF stated. Israel claims to have killed hundreds of Hezbollah operatives in the latest bombardment and ground invasion.
Contradictions and unknowns persist regarding death tolls and truce status. Lebanon's health ministry said 968 people were killed by Israeli strikes since the renewal of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Over 800 people have been killed and over 1,500 injured since Lebanon was drawn into the war two days after the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran, according to multiple reports. The pace of the massacres has increased in the past 48 hours, Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said. The exact terms of the U.S. peace plan beyond the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear weapons aspects remain unclear, and the current status of the truce between the U.S. and Iran, including whether it officially covers Lebanon, is disputed.
Other regional incidents include migrant deaths and attacks in Ukraine. Over 20 migrants died off Greece, with 26 rescued on Friday by an EU Frontex ship, and survivors saying 22 more were on a rubber boat that left Libya last weekend, with the dead thrown overboard on a smuggler's orders, AFP reported. Three people were killed and about a dozen injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight to Saturday, with two killed and two injured in Kryvyi Rih and one killed and at least eleven injured in Odessa, multiple reports indicate.