Deadliest day of conflict as Israel strikes Lebanon amid ceasefire confusion

On Wednesday, Israel conducted its most extensive aerial bombardment of Lebanon since the conflict began on March 2. The Israeli military reported striking over 100 Hezbollah command and administrative sites across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within ten minutes. Casualty figures differ between reports: the Lebanese civil defense service reported 254 deaths and 1,100 injuries, while the Ministry of Health recorded 182 fatalities and 700 to 1,100 wounded in separate accounts. The strikes followed a period of confusion regarding whether a U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement applied to Lebanon. Hezbollah officials stated they briefly halted attacks after being informed they were included in the truce, but resumed rocket fire toward northern Israel following the Israeli strikes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly stated that the ceasefire with Iran does not extend to operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned the scale of destruction, and reports indicate that over 1.2 million people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.