A ceasefire negotiated by the United States between Israel and Hezbollah collapsed within hours on Monday evening, prompting Israeli forces to conduct airstrikes on a southern suburb of Beirut. The strikes, which targeted what the Israeli military described as a Hezbollah weapons depot, followed the militant group's launch of a volley of rockets into northern Israel, the first such barrage in three weeks.
The ceasefire, announced by US Secretary of State in Washington on Sunday, was intended to de-escalate the worst cross-border violence since the 2006 war. It had raised hopes of a diplomatic resolution to a conflict that has displaced tens of thousands of civilians on both sides and raised fears of a regional conflagration. Israeli officials said the agreement unravelled after Hezbollah used the lull in fighting to reposition forces and prepare a new attack.
At 8:15 pm local time, explosions were heard across southern Beirut, a densely populated area that has seen periodic Israeli strikes throughout the conflict. The Lebanese health ministry reported four casualties, though the number may rise. Witnesses described plumes of smoke rising from the neighbourhood of Haret Hreik, a known Hezbollah stronghold. The Israeli military said it had provided advance warning to residents and struck a targeted site.
Hezbollah’s rocket attack, which triggered air raid sirens in the Galilee region, was its first since October 26. The Israeli Defence Forces intercepted most of the projectiles, but two landed in open areas, causing no injuries. A statement from Hezbollah claimed the attack was a response to “Israeli violations” of the ceasefire, though it provided no specifics.
The United States, which had brokered the truce in parallel with a separate effort to secure a hostage deal in Gaza, reacted with dismay. A State Department spokesperson said Washington was “deeply concerned” by the renewed violence and urged both sides to exercise restraint. But analysts note that the collapse underscores the fragility of US diplomacy in a region where neither Israel nor Hezbollah appears willing to commit to a lasting halt in hostilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from the defence ministry in Tel Aviv, blamed Hezbollah for the breakdown: “We agreed to the ceasefire in good faith. Hezbollah used it to reload their weapons and attack our citizens. Israel has no choice but to defend itself.” He did not rule out further strikes.
Hezbollah’s leadership remained defiant. In a televised address, the group’s deputy secretary general said the ceasefire had been a “tactical pause” and that the “resistance” would continue as long as Israeli forces remained in Lebanese territory.
The international community is now racing to salvage the ceasefire framework before the conflict escalates further. French and German diplomats have been in contact with both sides, but no new round of talks has been announced. In Beirut, the Lebanese government, which has little control over Hezbollah’s military wing, condemned both the rocket attacks and the Israeli strikes, urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene.
The breakdown comes at a delicate moment for the wider Middle East, with the war in Gaza still raging and Iran warned against a wider retaliation. The Israel-Lebanon front had raised hopes of a containment of instability. Those hopes now hang in the balance.
