Hours after the United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire and the partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Israel launched airstrikes on what it described as Hezbollah command positions in Beirut, sending smoke rising over Lebanon’s capital. The strikes underscored the fragile and multi-layered nature of the conflict, and raised immediate questions about whether Israel — a key US ally — was bound by the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel Says It Acted Independently
Israeli officials stated that the strikes targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut, which they described as a direct and ongoing threat to Israeli national security. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation and said it was targeting weapons storage facilities and command centres used by Hezbollah to coordinate attacks on northern Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that Israel’s military operations were not subject to any bilateral ceasefire between the United States and Iran, arguing that Hezbollah’s activities constituted a separate and ongoing armed threat that Israel had the right to respond to. The strikes came despite a formal US ceasefire with Tehran, illustrating the limits of Washington’s ability to control Israeli military decisions.
Hezbollah’s Response
Hezbollah condemned the strikes as a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and vowed retaliation. The group has been a central actor throughout the conflict, launching thousands of rockets and drones into northern Israel since February — with Iranian logistical and financial support. The group’s leadership denied that the ceasefire terms applied to its own military activities, arguing that it was not a party to the US-Iran agreement.
What This Means for the Ceasefire
Analysts warned that continued Israeli strikes on Beirut — regardless of their direct target — risk drawing Hezbollah and Iran back into active confrontation, threatening the fragile two-week truce. The ceasefire’s terms, as announced, focused specifically on US and Iranian military operations and the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the question of Israeli-Lebanese dynamics unresolved. Diplomatic sources in Islamabad, where US and Iranian delegations are scheduled to meet on April 10, said the Beirut strikes had already complicated early preparations for those talks.
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