2026 Lebanon war
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East
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Since 2 March 2026, there has been an ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah. It is a resumption of major fighting in the Hezbollah–Israel conflict that began in late 2023, and is part of the wider conflict in the Middle East.[62][63] The war[64][65] has killed more than 2,000 militants and civilians in Lebanon[66][67] and displaced over 1 million, 20% of the country's population,[60][68] creating a humanitarian crisis.[68]
(1 month, 4 weeks and 1 day)
- Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon began on 16 March 2026
- Lebanese general elections postponed to 2028
| 2026 Lebanon war | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Hezbollah–Israel conflict and the 2026 Iran war | ||||||||
Israel
Attested Hezbollah presence in Lebanon
Lebanese territory under Israeli control
Syria
Litani River Yellow Line (For an up-to-date, interactive, detailed map of the current military situation, see here.) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Belligerents | ||||||||
 IsraelAttacked by Hezbollah:  Syria[b] |
 Lebanon[c] UNIFIL[d] | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
 Naim Qassem Ali Reda Abbas X Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem X Ali Zadeh X Reza Khazaei X Adham Adnan al-Othman X Ahmad Abdullah X |
Joseph Aoun Nawaf Salam Diodato Abagnara[11] | |||||||
| Units involved | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
 18 soldiers and 1 demolition worker killed[e] 411 soldiers wounded[f] |
 24+ soldiers killed,[g] and 6 injured[44][45]4 Civil Defense members killed,[46][45] and 11 injured[47] 1 Republican Guard member arrested[48] 6 peacekeepers killed,[h] and 11 injured[i] | |||||||
|
2,576 killed, 7,962 injured,[59]and 1,200,000+ displaced in Lebanon[60] 2 civilians killed in Israel[j] | ||||||||
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began in October 2023, in response to the Gaza war. This led to the October 2024 Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. Despite a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, Israel continued airstrikes in Lebanon nearly every day,[69] killing 331 people (out of which at least 127 were civilians) by November 2025.[70][71] Later, the total death toll reached 500.[72] Hezbollah violated the ceasefire by rebuilding its militant infrastructure and weapons arsenal.[73]
On 28 February 2026, Israel and the United States launched a war against Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, and assassinated Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.[74][75] In response, Hezbollah resumed rocket strikes on Israel. Israel responded with airstrikes across Lebanon, including the capital Beirut. The Israeli army began ground operations in southern Lebanon on 16 March,[76] eventually deploying five divisions.[77] Hezbollah fired drones and as many as 2,000 rockets into Israel, while Israel conducted hundreds of airstrikes across southern Lebanon, Beirut, and the Beqaa Valley.[78][79] The main bridges on the Litani River were blown up by Israel to cut off the south from the rest of Lebanon.[78] The southern town of Bint Jbeil became the main site of ground combat culminating in a battle.[79] On 24 March, the Israeli defense minister announced that Israel would demolish Lebanese border settlements and occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River.[80]
The Lebanese government publicly condemned Hezbollah's renewed strikes against Israel for endangering and undermining the Lebanese state. It moved to ban Hezbollah's military activities, called on the group to place its weapons under government control and end unauthorized attacks from Lebanese territory.[81][82][83] The Lebanese government also condemned Israel's planned occupation and attacks on civilians.[80] Iran called for an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a condition for a wider ceasefire.[84] In April, a temporary ceasefire was agreed between Iran and the US–Israel, and Hezbollah said that it also halted its attacks.[85] Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the ceasefire did not apply to Lebanon, contradicting Iran and the Pakistani mediator Shehbaz Sharif.[86] Hours after the ceasefire announcement, Israel launched its largest airstrikes of the war, killing more than 350 people.[87] On 16 April, President Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day truce.[88]
Background
In the aftermath of the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israel and the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah have been engaged in conflict, as part of a longer stretch of hostilities between the two since the latter's founding in 1982. Hezbollah launched strikes against Israel after the 7 October 2023 attacks, which it said was in solidarity with Palestinians following the 7 October attacks and beginning of Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.[89][90] After a year of fighting, Israel invaded southern Lebanon in October 2024, pulling out after a U.S-brokered ceasefire at the end of November, but not before killing Hezbollah's leader, cleric Hassan Nasrallah. Between November 2024 and March 2026 however, several ceasefire violations occurred between the two, with Israeli atempts to enforce the ceasefire terms and prevent Hezbollah's renewed military buildup,[91] by launching near daily attacks into Lebanon a year after the ceasefire,[92] and Hezbollah violating the ceasefire terms by rebuilding its militant infrastructure and weapons arsenal. [73]
Following the U.S.–Israeli joint strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026, Hezbollah condemned the attacks, stating "we are confident that the American and Israeli enemy will receive a great slap and will reap nothing but failure from its tyrannical, criminal aggression."[93] On 1 Match, after Iran confirmed the death of Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli strikes, Hezbollah's secretary-general Naim Qassem vowed to retaliate and "undertake our duty of confronting the aggression", stating Hezbollah would not leave "the field of honor and resistance."[94] Hezbollah later claimed that the attack was a "defensive act" after over a year of Israeli attacks despite a truce.[95] It added that it restarted fighting to force Israel to stop its aggression and evacuate from seized Lebanese territories, emphasizing that the move was unrelated to the Iran war.[96]
Main events
First week (2–8 March)
On 2 March, Hezbollah launched several projectiles into northern Israel, the first time it had done so since the 2024 ceasefire, targeting a missile defense site south of Haifa.[74] Hezbollah said it restarted fighting to force Israel to stop its aggression and evacuate from seized Lebanese territories, emphasising that the move was unrelated to the Iran war.[96] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it have intercepted one projectile originating from Lebanon, letting several others fall into open sites.[97] In response, Israeli jets struck targets in the Lebanese capital of Beirut at 3am local time,[98] issuing evacuation orders to local civilians in 50 villages across Southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.[99] The Israeli military said it carried out "precise and targeted" strikes against "senior terrorist elements of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Beirut area" and "a central terrorist element of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon."[100] Early reports suggested the intended targets were Naim Qassem and Mohammad Raad.[101] Later, Saudi news channel Al Hadath reported Raad's whereabouts were unknown and stated his body was being searched for in the rubble.[102][103] The IDF said Hezbollah's intelligence chief, Hussain Makled, was killed in the strikes.[104]
On 3 March, Hezbollah fired missiles and drones targeting three Israeli bases, Ramat David Airbase, the Meron monitoring base and Camp Yitzhak.[75][105] Israel carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds and also targeted Al-Manar TV's headquarters in Beirut.[106] Later on in the day, Israeli forces were ordered to seize positions within Lebanon.[107] Israel said its military had seized "strategic areas" in southern Lebanon while ordering nearby Lebanese towns to evacuate.[108] Israel struck Yohmor with white phosphorus, illegal under international law, causing several homes to catch fire.[109][110]
On 4 March, Hezbollah launched drone and missiles into Israel, attempting to hit military bases and oil and gas infrastructures.[111] Hezbollah anti-tank fire caused moderate injuries to two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, making them the first Israeli injuries of the conflict.[36] Israel launched strikes targeting the communications centres of Hezbollah, during which al-Manar TV station and al-Nour radio station were struck.[112] More strikes were focused on villages in southern Lebanon used by Hezbollah.[111] Following Hezbollah's continued attacks, Israel issued an immediate urgent evacuation warning to South Lebanon residents, telling them to move north of the Litani River.[113] UN peacekeeping force reported Israeli soldiers entered several towns and villages in Southern Lebanon, including: Kfar Kila, Houla, Kfar Shouba, Yaroun and Khiam.[114]
Israel carried out an incursion into southern Syria on 4 March, shelling the area between Jamla and Saisoun in Daraa Governorate, and arrested four civilians. Israel accused Syria of deploying combat units to the Syrian Golan Heights, stating it will not allow the Hezbollah–Israel strikes to be used as a pretext to "harm the Druze" in southern Syria and demanded the Syrian government prevent Iraqi militias from crossing Syrian territory towards the Golan Heights.[115][116]
UNIFIL published on 5 March that since 2 March it monitored over 210 missiles fired by Hezbollah into Israel.[117] Israel killed a Hamas official in a strike in Beirut, as well as several strikes early in the day, including two in the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut. More attacks continued, targeting Hezbollah facilities and operatives, as it renewed its evacuation warning to residence in Southern Lebanon, close to sites it will target.[118][119][120] At midday, the IDF published an immediate evacuation notice to the southern suburbs of Beirut, specifically Bourj el-Barajneh, Hadath, Haret Hreik and Chiyah. Residents were advised by the IDF to move north and east.[121]
After Israel ordered inhabitants of the entire portion of Lebanon that is south of the Litani River to evacuate (along with some other areas), Hezbollah issued its own orders to civilians in a five-kilometer wide strip of Israeli territory bordering Lebanon to evacuate. This message was published by Hezbollah in Hebrew, along with maps of the zone to be evacuated. Israeli sources described Hezbollah's self-described evacuation orders as psychological warfare; Israel said it is not evacuating the area. Hezbollah repeated the supposed evacuation order in the following days and weeks.[122][123][124]
Hezbollah conducted a series of attacks on Israel and Israeli forces on 6 March, launching rockets and artillery shells toward the Golan Heights and Haifa.[125] During the night and morning after issuing advance warnings to minimize civilian casualties, Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah headquarters located in ten high-rise buildings in Beirut. The strikes also targeted warehouses where drones used in attacks against Israel were reportedly stored.[126] A Hezbollah projectile fired near the Lebanese border caused injuries to 8 Israeli soldiers, five of them severe.[127] Among the injured was the son of far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.[128] Two Israeli missile strikes hit a UNIFIL battalion headquarters in al-Qaouzah in Bint Jbeil, injuring three UN peacekeepers from Ghana.[129][54]
On 7 March, Hezbollah continued firing missiles and rockets into Israel's northern parts, with no deaths reported.[130][131] Israel's retaliation action included attacks in the eastern Lebanese town of Nabi Chit, were reports say an operation to search for Ron Arad took place.[132][133][134] The Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli military killed over 41 people there, and injured 40 more.[135] The deaths include at least three soldiers of the Lebanese Armed Forces and one from Lebanon's General Security Directorate.[38] Later that day an evacuation notice was issued by the IDF to Zqouq El Mufdi, Tyre.[136] These evacuation notices were followed by "Save your lives" notices and reminders to residents to stay away from their homes.[137]
Israel launched an airstrike on the Ramada hotel building in central Beirut on 8 March, killing four key Iranian commanders of Iran's elite Quds Force of the IRCG, who were planning terror attacks on Israel.[138][139] Later the Israeli army stated they killed five senior commanders from the Lebanon Corps of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a precise strike in Beirut.[140] Netanyahu said: "Whoever lays down their arms will save their life, and whoever doesn't, their blood will be spilled."[141] A Hezbollah rocket attack in southern Lebanon damaged a Puma armored engineering vehicle and then hit a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer attempting to assist the vehicle, killing two soldiers.[21]
Constantinos Kombos, Cyprus's Foreign Minister, stated the explosive-packed drones launched from Lebanon towards the island, were launched by Hezbollah, targeting British bases there.[142][143]
Airstrike on Ghazali family home (5 March)
| Ghazali family killing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 33°31′41″N 35°39′6″E Machghara |
| Date | 5 March 2026 at sunset |
| Target | Ibrahim Ghazali |
Attack type | Assassination (targeted killing) with other casualties |
| Weapon | Airstrike |
| Deaths | 4 (2 men + 2 children)
|
| Injured | 4 (both men's wives + parents) |
| Perpetrator | |
On the evening of 5 March 2026, four members of the Ghazali family were killed by an Israeli airstrike on their home in Mashghara, southern Lebanon.[144][145][146] The attack on the family home occurred while they were gathered for Iftar, the meal that breaks the fast at the end of the day in Ramadan.[144][145] The men's maternal uncle, Fouad Qasem, who lived nearby, helped recover the bodies. He told NPR, "I held my own flesh and blood in my hands... What did the children do to deserve this?"[147] The IDF claimed responsibility for the attack in Lebanon, alleging that Ibrahim Ghazali (the children's father) was a "Hezbollah commander" and describing Ibrahim as "eliminated", the term the IDF uses for assassinations.[148] The IDF's Arabic language spokesperson Avichai Adraee further alleged that Ibrahim Ghazali was in Hezbollah's anti-tank missile unit.[149][150] In response to the statements by Israel, a Hezbollah spokesperson said that none of the family members were affiliated with Hezbollah.[151] A memorial service was held for the family in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where other family members lived.[152] According to CNN, the men killed were the brothers of Ayman Mohamed Ghazali, who on 12 March attacked a synagogue in Detroit before killing himself.[153]
Second week (9–15 March)
A double strike on a house in Al-Qlayaa killed Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi.[154] According to Hezbollah, on 9 March the organization fought Israeli forces that landed once again in eastern Lebanon near Nabi Sheet. This time they were 15 Israeli helicopters that came from the Syrian side of the border.[155] Hezbollah kept firing rocket and missiles in to Israel.[156] During the day Israel targeted strikes on the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, an US-sanctioned institution known for funding Hezbollah.[157] Before mid night, the Syrian Army informed Hezbollah shelled their positions.[158] The Syrian Army declared they detected Hezbollah's reinforcements at the Syrian-Lebanese border.[159]
The Syrian Army said they would coordinate a possible Syrian response to Hezbollah's actions with the Lebanese government side.[160] On the same day, Syria reported early in the morning that artillery shells fired from Lebanon landed near a town 20 miles west of Damascus. Syria accused Hezbollah of targeting Syrian army positions in the area and said that it had observed Hezbollah reinforcements arriving along the Lebanon–Syria border, warning that it would respond to any attack on its territory.[5]
Hezbollah claimed it targeted sites in Tell al-Hamames, south of the city of Khiam.[161] According to reports Hezbollah and Iran fired missiles on northern Israel.[162] It was reported that residents from Aalma El Chaeb in South Lebanon, left the town towards Tyre, escorted by LAF and UNIFIL forces.[163] Later Israel issued warning to residence of Arnoun, Yohmor, Zawtar El Charqiyeh, and Zawtar El Gharbiyeh residents to evacuate.[164]
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency, reported about airstrikes over night on 11 March, that were later confirmed by the Israeli military.[165] It was followed by an evacuation notice issued to six villages in south Lebanon.[166] The IDF confirmed Iranian commander Ali Musallam Tabaja was killed during the airstrikes.[167] On 12 March, an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the village of Ain Ebel killed three men.[168][169][170]
Lebanon's health ministry said on 13 March that an Israeli airstrike hit a health center in Burj Qalaouiyah killing 12 people—nearly the entire medical team of paramedics, doctors, and nurses—leaving only one severely injured worker alive. Four others remain missing.[171] Israel continued to conduct airstrikes across Lebanon on 14 March, including areas outside of Hezbollah's operations. An airstrike on an apartment in Bourj Hammoud in northeastern Beirut killed at least one person and wounded four others.[172] Israel said it have killed Ibrahim Ghazali earlier in March, who it alleged was a Hezbollah commander and the brother of the Lebanese-born Ayman Ghazali who perpetrated the Temple Israel synagogue attack on Michigan, United States.[173][174]
Third week (16–22 March)
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The IDF announced on 16 March that it had begun a "targeted ground operation against key targets" in southern Lebanon, aimed at establishing "the forward defense area." Defense Minister Israel Katz said that such operations would continue until Hezbollah no longer posed a threat to northern Israeli communities, and ruled out displaced Lebanese people returning to their homes in the south until then. He added that the operations will resemble the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, "just as was done against Hamas in Rafah, Beit Hanoun and the terror tunnels in Gaza." Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has been designated a target for elimination.[76]
Four injuries were reported in northern Israel as a result of Hezbollah rocket attacks on the area, including three in Nahariya and one in Kibbutz Kabri.[175] An Israeli soldier from the Givati Brigade was injured during an operational accident.[176] An Israeli airstrike hit a building near Jabal Amel Hospital outside Tyre killed one person and injured five others.[177] Fighting was reported at the Hezbollah stronghold of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon where a "major battle was under way" with at least three airstrikes in the city.[178] Israel also struck targets in Yatar, Burj Qalaouiyah, as-Sultaniyah, Shaqra, Qantara, and as-Sawana.[179]
Mahmoud Qamati, Hezbollah's political council vice president, threatened to topple the cabinet of Nawaf Salam after the war ends, comparing it to Vichy France's regime.[180] The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior said it arrested a 16-member Hezbollah cell with weapons, drone and encrypted communications devices, which planned an attack.[181] On 17 March, the IDF said it had deployed a second division to southern Lebanon,[182] launching a ground invasion. Israel Katz said the operation would be similar to the Gaza war, suggested that Israel could occupy some Lebanese territory indefinitely and ruled out the return of displaced Lebanese people to their homes as long as Hezbollah remained a threat.[183] In a joint statement, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK said such an operation should be avoided.[184] Syria was pressured to militarily intervene in Lebanon by the United States by sending its troops and striking positions in Lebanon alongside the IDF in order to further weaken Hezbollah,[185] however the Syrian government refused the offer on the same day Israel Katz declared a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.[186] Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey discouraged a confrontation between Syria and Hezbollah.[187]
Israel conducted extensive overnight strikes in central Beirut on 18 March, which were largely unannounced with no warnings issued, killing at least 10 people and injuring 27.[188] Two Israeli soldiers were wounded by a Hezbollah mortar attack in northern Israel on 21 March.[189] Civilians were also injured as munitions fired by Hezbollah struck civilian buildings in northern Israeli border towns, including Ma'alot.[190]
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Israel's Defense Minister Katz declared that the IDF would demolish the Lebanese villages bordering Israel and destroy all the Litani river crossings.[191] Following a warning, Israel destroyed the Qasmiyeh Bridge, the main bridge over the Litani river, connecting Lebanon and south Lebanon.[192][193] The Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Hezbollah's operations are commanded by IRGC officers.[194] The IDF reported that seven soldiers were wounded on Lebanon in separate incidents.[37] IDF Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir approved plans "to advance the targeted ground operations and strikes" against Hezbollah, and that this would be a "prolonged operation".[195] The Israeli military said it killed a commander of Hezbollah's Radwan Force and two other operatives in a strike in southern Lebanon. In a statement, it said Abu Khalil Barji was killed along with two other Hezbollah members in an air strike in the Majdal Selem area.[196] That same day, an Israeli avocado farmer was killed from a misfired artillery by the IDF near the Israeli–Lebanese border.[61] Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa in an interview admitted Hezbollah had started the war for revenge over the assassination of Khamenei and threatened the Lebanese government with the repeat of the 7 May clashes.[197]
Fourth week (23–29 March)
On 23 March the IDF struck the Dallafa Bridge in southern Lebanon, which it accuses Hezbollah of using to send militants and weapons to fight Israel.[198] Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel, following the war, should annex territories up to the Litani River.[199] Satellite imagery from 23 March showed the remains of the Khiam detention center being demolished.[200]
The Lebanese government declared the Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani persona non grata on 24 March, giving him time until Sunday to leave.[201] According to news reports, Iran fired a ballistic missile at Lebanon several hours after the announcement. The projectile struck Lebanon's coast.[202] Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz openly stated that the military will take control of south Lebanon all the way to the Litani river,[203][204] mirroring the claims of Smotrich from the previous day. Hassan Fadlallah, a lawmaker of Hezbollah, vowed that the group would fight Israel to prevent the plan from coming to fruition, labelling it as one of the goals of the organization during the war.[205] An Israeli interceptor missile shot down a ballistic missile over Keserwan launched from Iran.[206] Various sources from the US military intel heavily suggest the target was Cyprus.[207][208][209][210]
Also on 24 March, an Israeli drone strike targeted the residence of a teacher in Ain Ebel, but the family members on the ground floor survived unharmed.[211] Israel reported that missile fire from Lebanon killed one Israeli civilian and wounded another two.[57] Isreali Defense minister Israel Katz states that the military will control a "security zone" up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon until the threat of Hezbollah is removed.[212]
Nethanyahu followed Katz's and Smotrich's statement on 25 March calling for the creation of a "security/buffer zone" in Southern Lebanon.[213] Iran asserted that Lebanon must be included as part of a ceasefire deal with the United States and Israel, thereby conditioning a ceasefire in the 2026 Iran war on a cessation of hostilities against Hezbollah.[84] Two IDF soldiers were killed by Hezbollah attacks on Southern Lebanon on 26 March.[23] One Israeli civilian was killed by Hezbollah rocket fire in Nahariyah.[214] The IDF said that it was sending more troops from the 162nd Division to join two other army divisions in southern Lebanon to expand the "buffer zone" in the area.[215]
The IDF have made relatively rapid advances into southern Lebanon on 27 March, advancing north past the coastal town of Naqoura toward Bayada. Hezbollah said that it had targeted an Israeli tank in Bayada.[216] An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on 28 March killed two prominent Lebanese television journalists, including Ali Choeib (also known as Ali Shaib) who worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar and Fatima Ftouni, who worked for the pro-Hezbollah Al Mayadeen. The IDF stated that Choeib had been exposing Israeli military positions, and described him as a member of Radwan force, Hezbollah's special operations unit.[217][218][219] Israeli military posted a photo of Choeib in military fatigues on its X account and when asked for a source of the image, a military spokesperson said "it was photoshopped".[220]
An IDF soldier was reported killed by Hezbollah attack, while another three soldiers were wounded in south Lebanon.[24] Israel killed two Lebanese paramedics in Bint Jbeil with airstrikes, and later accused Hezbollah of making "extensive military use" of ambulances and other medical facilities.[221] Lebanese military sources told Al Jazeera that Israeli troops had bypassed Aitaroun and reached the outskirts of Wadi al-Salouqi, at the same time entering the town of al-Bayada, advanced towards the Litani from below the town of Qantara near al-Muhaysibat and also east of it.[222]
The Iranian diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse the Iranian ambassador who is declared persona non grata defied the Lebanese government's order to leave.[223]
Syrian authorities launched a crackdown on tunnels along the border with Lebanon used for smuggling arms by Hezbollah. The Syrian defense ministry announced the discovery and closure of two tunnels on the border of Lebanon used for smuggling by Hezbollah.[6]
Fifth week (30 March – 5 April)
On 29 March, a UNIFIL position was shelled by Israel, killing a UNIFIL peacekeeper from Indonesia.[224] On 30 March, two more UNIFIL peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed,[225] this time when one vehicle in a convoy was hit by an explosion. In this case, the UN states they were most likely killed by a tripwire-activated explosive device planted by Hezbollah, because another explosive device of this kind was found nearby.[226]
Also on 30 March, a UNIFIL patrol was stopped by Hezbollah in Deir Qanoun an-Naher on its main street and ordered to leave the area, which the patrol refused, resulting in gunfire from both sides.[10]
Israeli media reported the death of four IDF soldiers in clashes with Hezbollah, three of whom were the from the Nahal Brigade's Reconnaissance Unit.[227]
On 1 April, an Israeli Navy strike in Beirut killed the commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem, whose predecessor Ali Karaki was killed in September 2024. Hezbollah confirmed Hashem's death, stating that it was their harshest loss since the killing of Haytham Ali Tabatabai in November 2025.[228][229] A IDF soldier was killed and another wounded on 4 April after a friendly fire incident in Sheeba southern Lebanon, during a commando raid.[230]
The IDF hit a four-story building on 4 April, part of a church-sponsored social housing complex, in Ain Saade, a Christian locality not far from Beirut, killing at least three people including local politician Pierre Moawad (of Lebanese Forces, a party which currently forms the ruling coalition in Lebanon and is opposed to Hezbollah), his wife, and their female neighbor.[231][232] The IDF claimed they were targeting a Hezbollah member hiding among local Christians,[231][232] and that Moawad was not the intended target.[233] Misinformation about the strike circulated online included a faked memo (a voice note) supposedly left by Pierre Moawad before his death.[citation needed] An account about a man who left the building and drove away on a motorcycle roughly around the time of the strike was relayed by the slain couple's daughter to journalists; media reports quoting the Lebanese army said the man on the motorcycle was a delivery driver, who had been delivering medications to one of the building's residents[234][235] but L'Orient Today later wrote that, per an anonymous judicial source, the man was an unnamed Hezbollah official visiting his girlfriend.[citation needed] There has been speculation that Israeli strikes on Christian communities in Lebanon are aimed at inflaming sectarian tensions.[233]
Sixth week (6–12 April)
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On 6 April, IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee ordered the southern suburbs of Beirut to be evacuated, because Israel will strike "Hezbollah infrastructure" there.[236] The Israeli Ground Forces deployed the 98th Division into southern Lebanon on 7 April, in addition to the 36th, 91st, 146th, and 162nd divisions already there. The stated goal of their operation was to destroy buildings near the border being used for military purposes and to push Hezbollah members north of the Litani River. According to the Israeli paper Yedioth Ahronoth, the IDF was preparing a plan to continue the operations and ground occupation in Lebanon even after the Iran war ends.[77] Hezbollah said on the same day that "fierce clashes" were taking place between its fighters and Israeli troops in Bint Jbeil, and that rocket and drone strikes targeted soldiers and Merkava tanks in the town, and in other settlements in southern Lebanon or northern Israel. Israeli troops destroyed buildings in Khiam and other border towns.[237]
Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran as part of the 7 April 2026 Iran war ceasefire.[238] Although Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the ceasefire includes all fronts of the war, including Lebanon,[239] Israel rejected Sharif's condition, asserting that the ceasefire "does not include Lebanon."[86][240] The United States has also claimed that the ceasefire does not include Lebanon.[241] Hezbollah said that it had halted attacks on Israel and on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.[85]
Hours after the ceasefire announcement, Israel launched Operation Eternal Darkness on 8 April, which, per Israel, included a wide-ranging operation targeting all of Hezbollah's command and control centers in southern Lebanon, Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.[242] The attacks were the largest since the start of the war,[87] with Israel saying that its military hit over 100 targets within ten minutes.[87][243] The attacks have killed at least 357 people.[244][245][246] One IDF soldier was killed and five wounded in clashes with Hezbollah fighters in South Lebanon.[27]
In the early hours of 9 April, Hezbollah said it launched a missile attack against northern Israel.[247] Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Israeli strikes continued.[248] Later, the IDF announced that it had killed Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem's personal secretary and nephew, Ali Yusuf Harshi in a strike on Beirut.[249] Hezbollah was also reported to have fired "dozens" of rockets into Israel from Lebanon.[250] At around 17:00 Israel Daylight Time, The Jerusalem Post reported that the 98th Division of the IDF had almost fully taken control of all of the town of Bint Jbeil,[251] which had become the main site of ground combat between Hezbollah and the IDF.[79]
On early 10 April, Israel launched a wave of strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 28 people, including 13 Lebanese State Security personnel at an office in Nabatieh.[42][252] During a visit to Israeli commanders near Bint Jbeil, IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir said that the IDF is in a "state of war" in Lebanon, despite the ceasefire with Iran.[253]
On 12 April, a Lebanese security source informed that the Israeli army cut off all main roads leading to besieged Bint Jbeil and kept pounding it with air strikes, artillery shells and white phosphorus bombs,[254] but still hasn't been yet able to capture important sites within the city itself,[255] with fights raging all over the city outskirts.[256] Prime minister Netanyahu and defense minister Katz visited Israeli troops inside Lebanon, with Katz saying that Israel will eliminate the threat "just as we did in Gaza," including with the demolition of homes so that they cannot be used as "terror outposts."[257]
Seventh week (13–19 April)
On 13 April, the IDF claimed to have killed over 100 Hezbollah fighters in Bint Jbeil in the past several days[258] and to have successfully encircled the city,[259] stating the complete takeover is expected to take a few more days.[260] One IDF sergeant was killed in combat in Southern Lebanon.[28]
On 15 April, Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon engaged in more strikes against each other.[261] A day later, two Israeli airstrikes destroyed the Qasmiyeh Bridge, the last remaining link between the area south of the Litani River and the rest of the country.[262]
On 16 April, President Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day truce, after his conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Aoun.[263] The ceasefire entered into force on the night of 16/17 April local time. Israeli defense minister Katz said that the IDF will hold its positions in southern Lebanon,[264] and the Israeli military warned residents of the area to remain north of the Litani River, while the Lebanese military reported several violations of the ceasefire by Israel.[265] The violations reportedly took place with attacks in Khiam and Bint Jbeil, and shelling in Dibbin. According to IDF commanders, residents will not be allowed to return to 55 villages that are in its operational zone, and PM Netanyahu stressed that the fight against Hezbollah is not over.[266]
On 17 April, Israel killed one Hezbollah member in a drone strike on a motorcycle, and throughout 17 April and 18 April killed other Hezbollah members in several other strikes in Lebanon, in at least two cases stating that the Hezbollah members posed a threat. On 17 April, an IDF soldier was killed in Lebanon after entering a building previously rigged with explosives by Hezbollah. On 18 April, another IDF soldier was killed and 9 others wounded, one severely, when one of IDF bulldozers drove over an explosive device. Israel continued to perform demolitions of buildings in Israeli-occupied areas of Lebanon.[267][268][269]
Israel continued launching attacks on claimed military targets, in violation of the ceasefire. Artillery bombardment, drone strikes, house-to-house fighting, trap-laying, and forest burning were all used as tactics by the Israeli military post-ceasefire.[270]
A French soldier was killed by gunfire and three others injured in an attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers in Deir Kifa on 18 April. French president Emmanuel Macron attributed the attack to Hezbollah, which the group denied.[51]
The Israeli military announced on the same day that it established a "yellow line" in part of southern Lebanon, like it did in Gaza.[271] The zone which Israel intends to control, as marked on a map published by the IDF, covers a larger area than Israeli ground forces controlled at the moment of the ceasefire: a wider belt of Lebanon's southernmost areas, plus new areas of the Marjayoun District and even some areas north of the Litani River; and an area around the town of Shebaa (not to be confused with Shebaa Farms) and northeast of it.[272] Israeli ground forces continued to capture new areas within that zone during the ceasefire.[citation needed]
On the afternoon of 19 April, according to Hezbollah, their members used explosive devices against a column of Israeli tanks (between Taybeh and Deir Siryan).[273]
Widespread outrage has erupted following the circulation of a viral photograph and video showing an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in the southern Lebanese village of Debel. The incident has drawn condemnation from religious leaders, international figures, and the Israeli government. The incident occurred in Debel shortly after a ceasefire began on 19 April 2026. Videos and photos show a soldier in uniform striking a fallen statue of Jesus Christ at a small residential shrine.[274]
Eighth week (20–26 April)
Israel warned residents of southern Lebanon to stay out of the area,[275] and as of 21 April, Israeli troops were still battling Hezbollah forces in spite of the ceasefire.[276] On the same day, Israeli forces said that Hezbollah violated the ceasefire by launching rockets at an Israeli position in Rab Thalathin and a drone into northern Israel. It added that it hit the rocket launcher as a response to one of those incidents. Hezbollah said that it fired rockets and attack drones towards a site in northern Israel that it said was the source of artillery shelling towards a town in south Lebanon in retaliation for what it said were Israeli violations of the truce.[277]
The second wounded French UNIFIL peacekeeper died on 22 April from injuries sustained during the same assault which had happened a few days earlier.[52]
As of April 22, Israel continued demolitions of civilian infrastructure in occupied areas of Lebanon; large-scale demolition operations were reported in Khiam "in a scene that suggests an attempt to completely erase the town's identity"[278][279] and in Qantara[279] (both in the Marjayoun District). In the Bint Jbeil District, tank/artillery shelling and controlled demolitions of infrastructure continued in and around Rshaf and Mais al-Jabal,[279] and Israel was systematically leveling residential areas of the town of Bint Jbeil itself.[278]
Among the places where Israeli strikes were reported on April 22 was Yohmor al-Shaqif, which is north of the Litani River. Hezbollah claimed at least one attack on Israeli soldiers in Qantara and also claimed to have hit an artillery location set up by the IDF in Bayada, south Lebanon, with an explosive-laden drone.[279]
An Israeli strike hit a car in Tiri; journalists driving behind the car that was hit took shelter in a building, which was also targeted, killing journalist Amal Khalil.[280][281]
Israeli strikes on April 23 included a drone strike on a car near Choukine.[282] Demolition of still-remaining houses was in progress in Deir Siryan.[283][284]
During the night of April 23/24, the IDF struck Touline (first at 10:30 pm, then during early morning) and Majdel Zoun, using warplanes and artillery. Both are located on the border (the furthest extent) of the "forward defense zone" that Israel claims in Lebanon. The locality of Khirbet Selm was also attacked. Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets at the region of Shtula (Israel) early the same night, shortly after 11:00 pm.[285][286]
During the same night (afternoon in the United States), US President Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire in Lebanon by three more weeks. Just like a week before,[287] the ceasefire announcement came after a meeting between the Lebanese ambassador and the Israeli ambassador in Washington D.C.;[288] these meetings are a departure from the rule not to maintain contacts with Israel, which before the current Israeli military operation (March 2026-onwards) was followed by all major political forces in Lebanon.[citation needed]
On 24 April and 25 April, warfare continued, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon, demolitions of houses, and Hezbollah strikes on the IDF in Lebanon.[289][290]
On the evening of 25 April, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an order to strike "with force" against Hezbollah in Lebanon. On 26 April, eastern parts of the Nabatieh District (which is north of the Litani River) – including areas claimed as part of the "forward defense zone" but not currently controlled by Israeli ground forces - came under intense Israeli fire. Other areas in south Lebanon also witnessed Israeli strikes.[291] Throughout the day, Israeli strikes resulted in 14 fatalities.[292] It was announced that an IDF soldier was killed near Taybeh, Lebanon, by an explosive-laden drone launched by Hezbollah.[293]
Ninth week (27 April – present)
Israel launched airstrikes on new areas of the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon on 27 April.[294] Also on that day, Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem said that he "categorically rejects" the peace talks between the government of Lebanon and Israel, and that "the resistance" against Israel will continue. Lebanese president Joseph Aoun responded by saying that Lebanon will not sign a "humiliating agreement".[295]
On 28 April, an Israeli Ministry of Defense contractor was killed by a Hezbollah drone while performing demolitions in occupied areas of Lebanon.[296] Meanwhile, in Majdal Zoun, an Israeli strike killed three civil defense members working on the site of a previous strike; two other people were killed at the same site.[43] On 29 April, a Lebanese soldier traveling home on a motorcycle was killed by one of the Israeli strikes.[43]
On 30 April, an IDF soldier was killed in Qantara by an explosive-laden Hezbollah drone. Elsewhere, an Israeli airstrike killed a Lebanese soldier in his home, along with several members of his family.[297]
Israel expanded its evacuation orders (also referred to as forced displacement orders) to 15 more towns and villages, this time including various towns and villages that surround the larger town of Nabatieh.[298]
Diplomatic efforts
On 9 April, it was reported that a round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon has been scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., United States. The talks will involve the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanese ambassador to the U.S.Nada Hamadeh Moawad. However, Israeli officials rejected a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon ahead of the talks, which was confirmed on 10 April by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[299] On 12 April, Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said that his government is "working to end this war, secure the Israeli withdrawal from all our territory, and secure the return of all our prisoners."[300] The first talks between the two governments in decades occurred on 14 April in the presence of secretary of state Marco Rubio.[257]
Impact and casualties
Casualties
As of 27 April, at least 2,521 people have been killed and 7,804 wounded by Israeli strikes in Lebanon during the war.[59] Internal Hezbollah sources said that over 1,000 Hezbollah fighters had been killed in the war[12] while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had killed 1,700 fighters.[13]
On 2 March, the first day of the war, Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that at least 31 people had been killed and 149 injured in the initial Israeli strikes, including 20 killed and 91 wounded in Beirut's southern suburbs and 11 killed and 58 wounded in southern Lebanon.[100] Civilian displacement became significant, with families fleeing southern areas toward cities like Sidon.[63] In the afternoon, the IDF announced that Hussein Makled, head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, had been killed in overnight strikes in Beirut. Local media also reported the death of the brother of the late Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah along with his wife as a result of strikes in Haret Hreik.[301] Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Lebanon announced that its commander, Adham Adnan al-Othman, had been killed in Beirut's southern suburbs.[302] At night, casualties rose to 52 deaths and 154 injuries, according to the Health Ministry.[100]
On 8 April, shortly after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire and Hezbollah signaled that it would pause its attacks on Israel accordingly,[303] Israel launched what it described as its "most powerful attacks" on Lebanon, killing at least 357 people.[304][305] The casualty count was among the highest of the war.[305][87]
Displacement
According to Lebanon, over 1.2 million Lebanese nationals,[60] corresponding to more than one-sixth of the country's population,[306] were displaced.[307][308] Over 40,000 homes in southern Lebanon have been destroyed.[257] Israel's evacuation orders in Lebanon covered an area of over 1,470 square kilometres (570 sq mi), encompassing 14% of the country's territory. The displacement in Lebanon has been called one of the most severe and fastest-growing refugee crises worldwide.[60] The war exacerbated the economic and humanitarian problems that have been ongoing in Lebanon since the 2019 financial crisis and 2020 Beirut explosion.[78]
Return migration of Syrian refugees
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the total population of Syrian refugees in the entirety of Lebanon was 1.4 million people in March.[309] Due to the war, thousands of individuals of Syrian heritage migrated back to Syria, especially by using the Joussieh border crossing.[310] According to a 13 March report by Intersos, other local agencies had recorded as of 10 March that 85,000 to 90,000 people had crossed the main legal border crossings from Lebanon to Syria. Demographically, these refugees comprised 93% Syrian returnees and 7% Lebanese citizens.[311] More than 125,000 people had crossed the border from Lebanon into Syria by 18 March;[312] according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees's Displacement Tracking Matrix, 119,000 of them were Syrians.[313]
Reactions
Lebanese government
On 2 March 2026, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah's rocket and drone strikes from southern Lebanon, calling them irresponsible acts outside the authority of the Lebanese state that endanger national security. While he emphasized that all military action must fall under the government's control, he did not formally declare Hezbollah outlawed, focusing instead on preventing unauthorized armed operations.[314][315]
Following an emergency Cabinet meeting convened early in the day amid the escalating strikes, Salam announced a total ban on all military activities by Hezbollah, demanding the group surrender its weapons to the state and restrict itself to political activities only. He affirmed that decisions on war and peace rest exclusively with the state, rejecting any unauthorized actions from Lebanese territory, and called on security forces to prevent such violations and arrest those responsible.[100]
The National News Agency reported that Justice minister Adel Nassar requested the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Jamal Hajjar, and the government commissioner at the Military Court to assign the security forces with immediately arresting those involved in launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel.[100]
The Lebanese government announced on 5 March it would "arrest and repatriate" anyone in Lebanon connected to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, leading to the departure of dozens of Iranian officers from Beirut in the past two days, according to Axios and several other sources. Most of those departing are believed to be members of the Quds Force who had been serving as military advisers to Hezbollah and influencing its operations.[316]
Following the Lebanese legal actions against Hezbollah and the IRGC, more than 150 Iranian nationals left Lebanon, including diplomats.[317]
President Joseph Aoun said the state is the only one that can protect its citizens and that no one expected that the country once again to become the arena for the wars of others.[318] Minister of Information Paul Morkos has ordered all media (television, radio and the national news agency) to stop using the word – "resistance" affiliated to Hezbollah, meaning they are not to call them by that name anymore.[319][320]
On 9 March 2026, the Parliament of Lebanon postponed parliamentary elections from May 2026 to May 2028.[321][322]
In a 22 March 2026 interview to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hadath television station, Salam said the Iranian IRGC is directing Hezbollah in its war on Israel and that this war was imposed on Lebanon. "These were the Revolutionary Guards, who are present and, unfortunately, managing military operations in Lebanon ...These people have fake passports and entered the country illegally". He mentioned again the government's unprecedented decision to ban Hezbollah's military actions, calling them to disarm and hand their weapons to the state.[323]
On 24 March 2026, the Lebanese government declared it is expelling the Iranian ambassador, Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani, naming him as persona non grata. The reason was Iran's continuing interference in Lebanon's internal affairs.[324]
Hezbollah
Hezbollah condemned the Lebanese government after it banned Hezbollah's military and security activities, stating "We understand the Lebanese government's impotence in the face of the brutal Zionist enemy, which violates national sovereignty, occupies land, and poses a continuous threat to the country's security and stability", and that it is the government's right "to decide on war and peace", concluding that "given this clear weakness and deficiency, we see no justification for Prime Minister Salam and his government to take such aggressive measures against the Lebanese who reject the occupation."[325] Hezbollah later said that its attack was a "defensive act" after over a year of Israeli attacks despite a truce. It added that "for fifteen months, Israeli aggression against Lebanon has continued through killing, destruction, bulldozing, and all forms of criminal acts."[62]
Group members have openly threatened to topple the government. Wafiq Safa vowed that Hezbollah would force the government to retract its ban on their military activities "regardless of the method". He further threatened a "different agenda" after the war, including a potential return to the street-level violence seen in the May 2008 clashes.[326] The deputy head of Hezbollah's political council, Mahmoud Qamati, warned that the group is "capable of turning the country and government upside down". He explicitly labeled the government "traitors" and "complicit," comparing them to the Vichy regime and stating that a post-war confrontation is "inevitable".[327][328] Hezbollah official Nawwaf Moussawi, compared Aoun to Anwar Sadat who was a former Egyptian president that signed a peace agreement with Israel at the Camp David Accords resulting in his assassination in 1981, adding that any peace deal with Israel would be "rejected, unrecognized and thrown in the trash, like the May 17, 1983 agreement.”[329]
Other domestic political parties
Many of Lebanon's other political parties have expressed dismay with Hezbollah's actions and have urged the Lebanese government to disarm the party.
Samir Geagea, chairman of the LF, has been the most prominent critic, calling Hezbollah's demands for the government to retract its decisions "completely unacceptable". He accused the group of taking the state hostage for 40 years and dragging Lebanon into an "insane" war to serve Iranian interests rather than national ones.[330] The Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel stated that Hezbollah's “Sick mindset” dragged Lebanon into a “free suicide” operation.[331]
Beirut MP Fouad Makhzoumi called for a total ban on Hezbollah activities stressing state monopoly on arms and advocated the deployment of the army to the southern suburbs.[332][333]
In a meeting between Lebanese Christian representatives and Emmanuel Macron, the Lebanese Forces party went as far as to suggest rearming its party militia to make up for the Lebanese government's perceived inaction in disarmament.[334]
Israel
The IDF said that it would "not allow the organization [Hezbollah] to pose a threat to the State of Israel and harm the residents of the north", further accusing it of "destroying the state of Lebanon."[335] IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said "Hezbollah opened fire last night. We warned it. It will pay a heavy price." When asked about a possible ground incursion into Lebanon, Defrin stated that "all options are on the table."[336] Israel also indirectly threatened to strike Lebanese government targets unless it intervened against Hezbollah. Lebanese foreign minister Youssef Rajji said that Lebanon had "received warnings indicating that any intervention on the part of Hezbollah could prompt Israel to strike infrastructure targets."[337]
International
France condemned Hezbollah's attacks against Israel as "irresponsible" and expressed its solidarity "in the face of the ordeal Lebanon is going through due to the irresponsible decision of Hezbollah". It also expressed solidarity with Israeli civilians affected by the Iranian attacks.[338][339]
Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa said that he supports the Lebanese government's efforts to disarm Hezbollah.[340] Syria also warned that it would respond to any attack on its territory, after accusing Hezbollah of targeting Syrian Army positions and moving forces to the border.[5]
United States President Donald Trump said "Hezbollah is a big problem" and "they're rapidly being eliminated" in response to Israel's ground offensive in southern Lebanon, adding that he spoke to Israeli leaders about the offensive.[341] U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said that the U.S. strongly condemns attacks by Hezbollah against Israel and supports Israel's right to defend itself. He further described Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy that does not represent the interests of the Lebanese people and commended the Lebanese government's decision to ban its military activities.[342]
Spain "strongly condemned" the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and urged full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.[343] Turkey also condemned the Israeli ground operation in Lebanon, calling it one of the "genocidal and collective punishment policies, this time in Lebanon," of the Netanyahu government, and warned against "another humanitarian catastrophe."[344]
In a joint statement, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom expressed that they were "gravely concerned" at the violence in Lebanon and called for "immediate de-escalation." They jointly condemned Hezbollah's "decision to join Iran in hostilities" and also called for the proposed Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon to "be averted" as it could trigger "devastating humanitarian consequences and could lead to a protracted conflict."[345] Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned what he called the "illegal invasion" of Lebanon by Israel, calling it "a violation of [Lebanon's] territorial sovereignty" and noting that the Lebanese government has made efforts to ban Hezbollah's activities.[346]
Brazil condemned 8 April 2026 Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a breach of the April 2026 ceasefire, demanding that Israel suspend military operations and respect Lebanon's territorial integrity.[347] Russia condemned Israel's post-ceasefire strikes in Lebanon,[348] as well as attacks on journalists and UNIFIL peacekeepers, and called on Israel to "abandon the use of force alone to address its legitimate security concerns, withdraw its military units from occupied territories, and return to the path of diplomacy."[349] Following Israel's 8 April strikes, China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement that Lebanon's sovereignty should not be violated.[350]
Ahead of peace talks in Islamabad between US and Iran on the 2026 Iran War, Pakistan opposed Israel's military actions in Lebanon, stating that the terms of truce between Iran and the US and Israel included Lebanon. Both Tel Aviv and Washington denied Pakistan's claims. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reacted by labelling Israel as "evil" and a "curse for humanity." Netanyahu's office responded by stating that such remarks amounted to calling for Israel's destruction and called Asif's statements "outrageous." "This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace," the statement read.[351][351]
