Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated overnight that the ceasefire did not cover Lebanon, with the Israeli military continuing operations against Hezbollah positions.
“The battle in Lebanon continues, and the ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X, while reiterating evacuation orders for residents in southern Lebanon.
This stance contradicts Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key intermediary in U.S.-Iran talks, who said Lebanon would be included in the ceasefire.
Lebanese sources reported ongoing Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, including artillery shelling and a dawn airstrike near a hospital that killed four people. Another attack on the southern city of Sidon killed eight and wounded 22, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Israeli military confirm it completed a wide-scale and large strikes targeting command centres and military infrastructure of the Hezbollah across Beirut on Wednesday. It said that most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within civilian areas.
Hezbollah reportedly ceased attacks early Wednesday (8 April), though the group is expected to issue a formal statement clarifying its position on the ceasefire and Israel’s exclusion.
French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that Lebanon must be included in any regional ceasefire, highlighting the country’s fragile situation and France’s historic ties with Beirut.
Israel has issued evacuation orders affecting roughly 15% of Lebanese territory since 2 March, mostly in southern areas and suburbs south of Beirut. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced, according to local authorities.
“Hopefully a ceasefire will be reached, because Lebanon can’t take it anymore. The country is collapsing economically, and everything is collapsing,” said Ahmed Harm, a 54-year-old displaced resident from Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Warnings from the Israeli military indicate potential further attacks on Tyre and southern Beirut neighbourhoods.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Moussawi told local media, “If the Israeli enemy does not adhere to a ceasefire, then no party will commit to it, and there will be a response from the region, including Iran.”
Lebanese officials confirmed that Beirut was not directly involved in the ceasefire negotiations and emphasised that only the Lebanese authorities are authorised to represent Lebanon in such talks.
Since 2 March, more than 1,500 people have been killed in Israel’s military campaign across Lebanon, including more than 130 children and more than 100 women. At least 400 Hezbollah fighters have been reported killed, while Israel has confirmed the deaths of at least 10 soldiers in southern Lebanon.
Israel has stated its intention to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, citing the creation of a “security zone” to protect northern residents.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and reiterated efforts to ensure Lebanon’s inclusion in any lasting regional peace agreement.
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Pakistan‑brokered talks between the U.S., Israel and Iran get underway today as disagreements continue over the two‑week ceasefire, including Israel‑Hezbollah conflict and Iran’s handling of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump warned the terms were being misapplied.
In a forceful rebuke to Washington’s foreign policy in the Americas, a senior Russian diplomat has declared that Moscow will never abandon Cuba, pledging ongoing support to help the Communist-run island overcome a severe energy crisis linked to the United States embargo.
As Islamabad prepares to host crucial talks between the U.S. and Iran this Sunday, hopes for a sustained peace remain fragile, with fresh Israeli strikes in Lebanon casting doubt over already delicate negotiations.
Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to one daily flight to its airports until 31 May due to the Iran crisis, raising fears of significant revenue losses for Indian carriers, industry letters show.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Some geographies are small on the map yet immense in history. The Strait of Hormuz is one. About a quarter of global oil trade and a fifth of LNG flows pass through this narrow corridor - around 20 million barrels per day sustaining the global system.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye aims to rank among the world’s top ten exporters of defence technology within the next two years.
Donald Trump has warned that countries providing military weapons to Iran could face sweeping new tariffs, in a move that risks escalating economic tensions despite a recent ceasefire.
A fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran showed further strain on Friday, a day before they are to negotiate in Pakistan, as Washington accused Tehran of breaching promises on the Strait of Hormuz and Israel struck Lebanon with attacks that Iran has claimed violate the ceasefire.
Pakistan‑brokered talks between the U.S., Israel and Iran get underway today as disagreements continue over the two‑week ceasefire, including Israel‑Hezbollah conflict and Iran’s handling of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump warned the terms were being misapplied.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
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