Damage caused to a building following an Israeli air strike that attacked a neighbourhood in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on March 22, 2025. AFP
Damage caused to a building following an Israeli air strike that attacked a neighbourhood in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on March 22, 2025. AFP
Damage caused to a building following an Israeli air strike that attacked a neighbourhood in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on March 22, 2025. AFP
Damage caused to a building following an Israeli air strike that attacked a neighbourhood in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on March 22, 2025. AFP

Israeli air strikes on Lebanon kill seven amid fragile truce


Nada Maucourant Atallah
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Israeli air strikes on Lebanon killed at least seven people on Saturday, including one child, in the most significant violation of the fragile truce.

At least 40 others, including five children, were injured, Lebanon's Ministry of Health said. This marked one of the highest single-day casualty tolls from Israeli air strikes since a fragile ceasefire was agreed in November between Hezbollah and Israel, ending 14 months of conflict, including two months of full-scale war.

The two waves of Israeli air strikes, which attacked several towns in southern Lebanon and in the eastern part of the country, were the biggest escalation since the end of the war, threatening an already shaky truce. The Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah "command centres, infrastructure sites, terrorists, rocket launchers and a weapons storage facility in Lebanon", adding that it would continue to strike targets "as required" to protect Israeli civilians.

At least five people, including a young girl, were killed and 11 others, including two children, were injured in air strikes in Touline. One person was killed in Tyre and Qlaileh. Injuries were reported in other southern areas.

The Israeli air strikes were in retaliation for three missiles launched into northern Israel from Lebanon by unspecified groups, marking the second cross-border launch since the truce. The Israeli military said that air defences intercepted the rockets and that there were no reports of injuries or damage.

Hezbollah said it was not responsible for the missile attack. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Iran-backed group also announced the death of two of its fighters in the air strikes.

On Sunday, an Israeli drone attacked a car in a southern Lebanese town of Aita Al Shaab near the Israeli border and causing an unspecified number of casualties, state media reported.

Israel has carried out repeated air strikes during the ceasefire, attacking what it said were Hezbollah military sites that violated the agreement.

The recent flare-up of violence came just days into Israel's renewed offensive in Gaza on Tuesday, which shattered the relative calm in the territory since a January 19 ceasefire.

At least 18 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in overnight Israeli air strikes, according to Palestinian media, which also reported that Hamas political leader Salah Al Bardaweel and his wife had been killed in Khan Younis.

The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

Updated: March 23, 2025, 9:47 AM