Death toll in Lebanon hits 254 in deadliest Israeli escalation

The death toll from Israeli strikes across Lebanon has surged to 254, with 1,165 wounded, according to Lebanese Civil Defence, marking one of the deadliest days of the “barbaric attacks” by Tel Aviv.

In a statement on Facebook on Wednesday, Lebanon’s Civil Defence agency said casualties were recorded nationwide, including Baalbek, Nabatieh, Sidon and Tyre, as emergency teams carried out evacuations, rescued civilians trapped under rubble and transported the wounded under “extremely dangerous and complex” conditions.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with officials warning the death toll is likely to rise as crews continue to clear debris.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said that the large wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least 89 people and wounded 722 others.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of attacking “densely populated residential areas” despite ceasefire efforts.

In a statement on X, Salam said Lebanon has welcomed a recent ceasefire announcement agreement between Iran and the US.

“While we intensified our efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, Israel continued to escalate its attacks targeting densely populated residential areas that claimed the lives of innocent civilians throughout Lebanon, particularly in the capital, Beirut.”

The premier accused Israel of “disregarding all regional and international efforts to end the war.

Blatant violation

Israel “blatantly violated the principles of international law and international humanitarian law, which it has never respected in the first place,” he said, calling on Lebanon's friends “to stop these attacks by all available means.”

In a statement, the Lebanese Presidency said the “barbaric attacks, which respect neither agreements nor commitments, repeatedly demonstrate Israel’s disregard for all international laws and norms.”

It noted that “over fifteen months since the ceasefire agreement in November 2024, numerous violations and breaches have been recorded without any deterrence.”

“Israel is once again persisting in its aggression, in defiance of all humanitarian values and disregarding efforts aimed at de-escalation and stability,” the presidency added.

Aggressive policies

The Lebanese Presidency held Israel “fully responsible for the consequences of this dangerous escalation.”

It stressed that “continuing these aggressive policies will only heighten tension and instability in the region.”

The presidency called on the international community to “assume its responsibilities to stop these repeated attacks and end this approach that threatens security and stability.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir vowed to continue the army’s strikes on Lebanon “without interruption,” as Israel launched its largest attack since the escalation began in March, under an offensive dubbed “Eternal Darkness.”

The Israeli army said on Wednesday it struck more than 100 sites “within 10 minutes” across multiple areas in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon, in the “largest” coordinated strike since the start of the current offensive in Lebanon.