At least 254 people killed in Lebanon as Israel launches devastating wave of strikes on Beirut
Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least 89 people today as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government launched its largest wave of strikes on the country yet.
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With the death toll expected to rise and at least 800 people injured, Wednesday saw Israeli warplanes level large parts of central Beirut.
Israel’s defence minister said the attacks were part of a “surprise strike” on the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah.
The Israeli Defence Force called the strikes the largest since its war on Lebanon, which has displaced at least a quarter of the country’s population, began six weeks ago.
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The strikes came just hours after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran - an agreement that White House has insisted does not include Lebanon.
Speaking on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu insisted Israel’s war is “not over”.
In an address to the nation, the Israeli Prime Minister said "Iran is weaker than ever" and "Israel is stronger than ever" but stressed that his country still has goals to achieve in the conflict.
"This is not the end of the campaign," he said, adding: "Iran is entering these negotiations while beaten and weaker than ever."
The Iranian regime has been set back by "decades", he added, claiming Iran is not able to manufacture any new missiles and that forces are firing now are from its existing missiles stored in warehouses.
It comes as the fate of the two-week ceasefire agreed on by Iran and the US last night looks increasingly in doubt as bombs continue to rain down on the Middle East.
Iran has warned any tankers travelling along the Strait of Hormuz without permission will be destroyed and demanded that vessels pay a toll to pass through the crucial shipping lane.
Hours after agreeing a temporary ceasefire with the White House, Iran broadcast a message to oil tankers on the vital waterway, warning: “If any vessels try to transit without permission, [they] will be destroyed.”
The Iranian regime is reportedly demanding ships pay a massive toll to pass through the Strait - which transports around 20 per cent of the world’s oil.
According to the Financial Times, Iran wants $1 per barrel of oil, with the toll paid in cryptocurrency.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is a crucial element of Donald Trump’s proposed ceasefire, but almost a day on from his announcement, ships are still not passing through.
The agreement followed a request by Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator in the conflict between the warring sides.
The Iranian regime said it had accepted a temporary truce but warned that its “hands remain upon the trigger”, while a White House official said Israel had also accepted the terms of the ceasefire agreement.