- Israel continues strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and Beirut.
- Heavy casualties reported in Lebanon, with hundreds killed and thousands injured.
- WHO warns evacuation orders in Beirut threaten hospital operations and patients.
- Pakistan to host Iran and US officials for ceasefire discussions amid diplomacy.
ISLAMABAD: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his government to begin direct talks with Lebanon, focusing on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the possibility of future arrangements for peace, even as he reaffirmed that “there is no ceasefire in Lebanon.”
The announcement comes amid continued Israeli air and ground strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the Israeli military has targeted what it says are Hezbollah rocket launch sites. New evacuation warnings have also forced civilians to flee parts of the capital.
Ceasefire dispute deepens
Despite the diplomatic opening, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would continue its military campaign against Hezbollah “with force and will not stop” until the group is disarmed.
The situation is further complicated by conflicting interpretations of the broader Iran-Israel ceasefire. Iran insists Lebanon is included in the truce, while Israel and the United States say it is not. Iranian officials have warned that ongoing Israeli strikes could undermine any diplomatic process.
The ceasefire dispute has also drawn in international actors, with NATO leaders and European governments urging restraint and warning that escalating attacks in Lebanon could collapse the agreement.
Humanitarian alarm grows
The humanitarian toll is mounting. Lebanon’s health ministry says hundreds have been killed and more than a thousand injured in recent Israeli strikes, including a single day of heavy bombardment that caused mass displacement in the south and Beirut’s outskirts.
The World Health Organization has raised alarm over evacuation orders, warning that two major hospitals housing hundreds of patients in Beirut — including critical care cases — are at risk of being forced to shut down or relocate under impossible conditions, according to Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes, with Pakistan expected to host talks between Iranian and US officials in Islamabad. Washington says the discussions aim to advance ceasefire negotiations and reduce escalation risks.
At least 303 people were killed in Wednesday’s strikes in Lebanon alone, according to Lebanese authorities, marking one of the deadliest escalations since the conflict began, while regional tensions continue to spill across multiple fronts.
