Lebanon Ceasefire Collapses as Israel and Hezbollah Intensify Attacks
Priyanka Shankar
The Lebanon ceasefire that began April 16 is collapsing as Israel and Hezbollah intensify attacks, killing 51 people in 24 hours and sparking international condemnation. Medical workers have been among the casualties, with the UN reporting over 100 health workers killed since conflict started. Hezbollah continues to strike Israeli positions using drones and missiles, while U.S.-led talks in Washington aim to broker a broader peace deal.
A ceasefire in Lebanon that came into effect on April 16 is on the verge of complete collapse as both Israel and Hezbollah ramp up attacks, despite official declarations of a truce. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least 2,846 people have been killed and over a million displaced since the conflict erupted on March 2. In just 24 hours as of May 10, Israeli strikes claimed 51 lives, including two paramedics in Qalawiya and Tibnin, drawing sharp criticism over alleged violations of international humanitarian law.
The United Nations has recorded that since the start of the conflict, at least 103 Lebanese medical workers have been killed and 230 injured in more than 130 Israeli airstrikes. "We are threatened every second, every day. We wonder whether we will survive or die. We have lost so many people, and it feels as if we too have already left," said Ali Safiuddin, head of the Lebanese Civil Defense Force in Tyre.
On May 11, the Israeli air force resumed airstrikes on the town of Kfar Remman for a second time in less than an hour, while urging residents of nine areas in southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of potential attacks. The Israeli military said its strikes target Hezbollah infrastructure, which is primarily concentrated in southern Lebanon. However, over the past week, Israel bombed the southern suburbs of Beirut for the first time since the ceasefire took effect.
On its part, Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israeli forces. On May 11, the Lebanese armed group said it had carried out 24 attacks on Israeli military positions, soldiers, and armored vehicles over the previous 24 hours, using drones, rockets, artillery, and guided missiles. The Israeli military confirmed it intercepted "a suspicious aerial target" over southern Lebanon. According to The Jerusalem Post, Hezbollah is using fiber-optic controlled drones to evade Israeli wireless jamming equipment, posing a challenge for the Israeli military to counter.
In essence, the current ceasefire is a successor to the one that took effect in November 2024. Since then, the UN has recorded over 10,000 ceasefire violations by Israel and hundreds of Lebanese deaths. "I don’t think there was ever the appearance of a ceasefire. Israel can continue attacking as well as signing a peace deal," analyst Ori Goldberg told Al Jazeera, adding that the U.S. and EU hold the key to the situation. Israel has repeatedly pressured the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, which remains the strongest military force in Lebanon despite being weakened after the war with Israel.
The U.S. State Department is planning to hold two days of talks between Israel and Lebanon on May 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C., aiming to reach a "comprehensive peace and security agreement." Hezbollah is not participating in the negotiations and has objected to the talks. "The negotiations could lead to a temporary extension of the ceasefire, or a complete failure that ends in collapse. U.S. President Donald Trump has enough power to push the parties to de-escalate and find a diplomatic way out," said David Wood of the International Crisis Group.
