UN: Israeli attacks on Lebanon put US-Iran ceasefire at risk
Israeli attacks on Lebanon pose a serious threat to the ceasefire between the US and Iran, according to UN secretary general António Guterres. At least 250 people were killed in air strikes on Wednesday.
“The ongoing military activity in Lebanon poses a grave risk to the ceasefire and the efforts toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region,” Guterres’s spokesperson said in a statement, which called for an immediate end to hostilities.
The US and Iran reached an agreement on a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday night. According to Iran and mediator Pakistan, the agreement also applied to Lebanon, but Israel and the US later denied this.
Local authorities say at least 250 people were killed in Wednesday’s attack by Israel. There were also 1,150 injured, according to the civil protection operations centre. Despite a ceasefire in the war with Iran, Israel intends to continue its attacks on the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Israeli army bombed numerous targets, including in the capital, Beirut, in the bloodiest day for Lebanon since the start of the war. According to the army, the attacks were aimed at Hezbollah members and military infrastructure. Lebanon, however, reports many civilian casualties and has declared Thursday a day of national mourning.
"After more than five weeks of hostilities, people urgently need respite from the violence"
The International Committee of the Red Cross is “outraged” by the deaths and destruction. “Any comprehensive agreement for the region must consider the safety, protection and dignity of civilians in Lebanon,” the organisation said in a statement. “After more than five weeks of hostilities, people urgently need respite from the violence.”
It condemns the heavy explosive weapons used by the Israelis in densely populated urban areas without effective warnings, and reiterates its “urgent call on all parties to protect and respect civilians and civilian objects during military operations”.
Belgian Foreign minister Maxime Prévot is on a visit to the region and was a few hundred metres from a bombing, at the Belgian embassy in Beirut. Following his meeting with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, Prévot condemned Israel’s “unacceptable” stance, “which only makes Hezbollah stronger” and against which “political pressure must be stepped up”.
During the rest of his visit, the minister encountered further traces of the air strikes. “One cannot help but be shocked,” said Prévot, who had earlier announced an additional 2 million euros in short-term humanitarian aid for Lebanon.
People extinguish a fire caused by Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, 8 April 2026 © PHOTO XINHUA / BILAL JAWICH
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