At least 112 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon as Trump dismisses attacks as ‘separate skirmish’

LAST UPDATE | 48 mins ago

DOZENS OF PEOPLE have been killed and hundreds wounded in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon today, as US President Donald Trump described the conflict as a “separate skirmish” not covered by a temporary ceasefire with Iran.

Lebanon has said that at least 112 people were killed and more than 800 injured in one of the most intense bombardments since the conflict escalated, with strikes hitting multiple areas including the capital Beirut.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising over the city, while witnesses described panic on the streets as explosions struck without warning. 

“In a very serious escalation, Israeli warplanes launched a wave of simultaneous airstrikes on several Lebanese areas, resulting in, in an initial count, dozens of martyrs and hundreds of wounded,” the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement.

UN rights chief Volker Turk described the “scale of the killing and destruction” in Lebanon as “nothing short of horrific”.

“Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief. It places enormous pressure on a fragile peace, which is so desperately needed by civilians,” Turk said.

The Israeli military said it had carried out a large-scale operation targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members, describing it as one of its most significant attacks on the group in recent months.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz called the attack the largest assault against Hezbollah since a 2024 operation involving pager bombs, in which at least 32 people (including two children) were killed and thousands more injured.

The Israeli attacks came despite a deal for a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Hezbollah’s backer Iran.

However, Trump said the deal does not extend to Israel’s operations in Lebanon.

“They were not included in the deal,” Trump said, according to a social media post by PBS News Hour correspondent Liz Landers.

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He added that it was “because of Hezbollah.”

His comments appear to contradict earlier statements from international figures, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had suggested the ceasefire would apply “everywhere including Lebanon”.

A US official also cast doubt on reports of a 10-point ceasefire framework published by Iranian state media, saying it did not reflect the actual terms being discussed and warning against negotiating details in public.

The UN’s Human Rights Commission said in a statement on social media that 60 sites across Lebanon had been struck by Israel today.

“Deaths are mounting. Destruction is massive. Civilians are paying the price. Again,” a statement from the Un body said.

“They are not a target. They must be protected.”

Israel fires at UN peacekeepers

In a separate incident, Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian troops serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), damaging at least one vehicle but causing no injuries.

Italy’s defence minister condemned the incident as “unacceptable”, while its foreign minister said the Israeli ambassador had been summoned, insisting that peacekeepers “are not to be touched”.

The convoy was travelling from the southern town of Shama to Beirut when it was targeted, forcing it to turn back.

UNIFIL, which has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978, has increasingly found itself caught in the crossfire. Three peacekeepers were killed in separate incidents late last month.

The latest violence comes amid a worsening humanitarian situation. Lebanese authorities say more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since March, while over one million have been displaced.

Israel has responded to Hezbollah strikes in March with broad strikes across Lebanon, demanding the Lebanese population leave the south of the country and launching a ground invasion.

Additional reporting from AFP

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