Israel Kills 3,526 in Lebanon Strikes as Hezbollah Rejects Ceasefire Pact

Israel continued deadly strikes across Lebanon hours after Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire hinging on an end to Hezbollah attacks, while Hezbollah rejected the pact and was not party to the deal.

“Israel has continued to carry out deadly strikes across Lebanon despite the announcement of a new US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached by Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington, DC”

Al Jazeera

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported at least 3,526 people have been killed and 10,733 wounded in Israeli attacks since March 2, as the violence pushed casualties higher.

Al Jazeera

In Washington, DC, Al Jazeera reported that Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem dismissed the ceasefire as a “farce”, warning that northern Israel will remain a target as long as Israeli forces continue bombing Lebanon.

CNN reported that an Israeli soldier was killed by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile in southern Lebanon on Thursday afternoon, according to the Israeli military.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in an interview with CNN that “This is not your country. This is our country,” criticizing Iran for using Hezbollah to turn Lebanon into a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States.

In the same CNN interview, Aoun said Lebanon’s interests do not align with Iran’s interests and that Tehran uses Lebanon as a pressure card in its dispute with the United States and Israel.

An-Nahar

Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Beirut, said Hezbollah remains the key actor on the Lebanese side when it comes to decisions about fighting and any potential halt to hostilities with Israel, “regardless of what the Lebanese government says”.

Al Jazeera also reported that Hezbollah rejected the limited truce agreed to by Lebanese and Israeli representatives in the US, demanding a complete ceasefire and a full Israeli pullout from the country.

The Diplomatic Insight reported that Trump said he was attempting to keep the Israel–Lebanon ceasefire separate from the wider talks with Iran, while Tehran linked any broader agreement to a halt in Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Al Jazeera reported that Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the US-brokered ceasefire and warned of more attacks on northern Israel, raising doubts about the prospects for a lasting truce.

CNN said the House passed a resolution to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran, and it also reported that the US House rejected a Democrat-led Lebanon war powers resolution on a 92-324 vote.

In Washington, DC, Al Jazeera reported that the White House faced questions over why a negotiated agreement with Iran was still needed after Trump repeatedly claimed US military action had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.