Lebanon ceasefire hopes fade as Israel bombs Bekaa and Beirut

Lebanese Prime Minister says continued attacks show Israel is rejecting truce efforts

Smoke rises from Israeli strikes on Dahieh, in southern Beirut, on Friday. AP

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At least 17 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Friday, following multiple air strikes on Beirut in the early hours, as hopes of a ceasefire evaporated.

An attack in Amhaz, in the northern Bekaa, killed at least 11 people, while another four deaths were reported in an Israel bombing that destroyed a house in Nahle, near the ancient city of Baalbek. Two people were killed and others injured when the village of Taraya, in the eastern Bekaa region, was hit.

Baalbek was virtually emptied this week when Israel turned its sights on the city, with dozens of people killed in air strikes that began there on Wednesday.

At least 10 Israeli air strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs at dawn on Friday, less than an hour after the Israeli army issued eviction orders for residents in the area.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the bombardment proved Israel had no interest in a ceasefire, after a brief period of optimism over a deal proposed by the US.

Powerful parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah, told Al Sharq Al Awsat that any resolution to the crisis is now on hold until after next week's US presidential election.

He said Israel had rejected a proposal put forward by Lebanon based on a previous UN Security Council Resolution, which would see Hezbollah withdraw from south Lebanon's border areas.

Friday's attack was the first on the Lebanese capital in almost a week, following a relative lull. The eviction orders were issued at about 2am local time, when most people were asleep.

“The raids left massive destruction in the targeted areas, as dozens of buildings were levelled to the ground, in addition to the outbreak of fires,” the state-run National News Agency said.

Israeli warplanes attacked the Ghobeiry and Al Kafaat areas, as well as the Sayed Hadi Highway, Al Mujtaba Complex and the old airport road, it added. On Friday morning, Israeli drones could be heard circling above Beirut.

Elsewhere, at least three people were killed and five injured when Israel bombed Qmatiye in the Aley district of Mount Lebanon governorate.

There were also reports of strikes on the southern city of Tyre, which has already suffered extensive destruction previous Israel attacks,

The Israeli military has bombarded southern Beirut repeatedly in recent weeks, while also carrying out deadly strikes elsewhere in the capital and across Lebanon. Friday's attacks came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US officials Brett McGurk and Mr Hochstein to discuss a possible deal to end the war with Hezbollah.

The two US officials did not travel on to Beirut, which has been seen as a sign the ceasefire talks did not make much progress. Mr Berri said that Mr Hochstein had not been in touch with Lebanese authorities since leaving Tel Aviv.

Mr Mikati on Wednesday had voiced hope that a ceasefire could be imminent. But he said the early-morning attacks by Israel showed it was rejecting “all efforts” to reach a ceasefire.

Lebanon says it is committed to finally implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was introduced in 2006 to end the last war between Hezbollah and Israel. Terms that were never fully implemented include the withdrawal of Hezbollah north of the Litani River.

However, Israel has signalled it would want much stronger terms to ensure its northern residents could return to their homes.

At least 1,829 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel increased its bombardment of the country in September, according to Lebanese Health Ministry figures. The real toll is likely to be higher.

While Israel claims to be launching attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure, the vast majority of casualties are believed to be civilians. The ministry said late on Thursday that at least 45 people had been killed in Israeli strikes in the previous 24 hours. The death toll since October 8 last year is now more than 2,865.

Mr Netanyahu told the visiting US envoys that Israel's ability to counter threats to its security from Lebanon and return displaced Israelis to the north would be key elements of any ceasefire deal.

He was speaking shortly after a farmer and four foreign workers were killed in a Hezbollah attack on the northern Israeli town of Metula. Two more civilians were killed by shrapnel near the Israeli town of Kiryat Ata, authorities said.

Four Thai citizens were killed and one was injured in the Metula attack, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said on X on Friday.

“The main issue is … Israel's ability and determination to enforce the agreement and thwart any threat to its security from Lebanon,” Mr Netanyahu's office quoted him as telling the US envoys, regarding a possible ceasefire.