Israel Launches Largest Attack in Lebanon’s History Amid Fragile Ceasefire

 Israel has carried out the largest attack in Lebanon’s history today. I have visited Beirut multiple times. It’s a stunning city. Beirut does not feel like a typical Arab city. Unlike Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Doha in Qatar, or Dubai in the UAE, Beirut has a distinctly European or Western vibe. Lebanon itself has a unique charm.

Lebanon is the only Arab country where Muslims and Christians are nearly equal in population—53% Muslim and 42% Christian. They coexist harmoniously. Even the president is Christian. The culture is not entirely like other Arab nations. Sitting at a café in Beirut during evening hours feels like being in Western Europe. It’s a truly remarkable country. Today, in just five minutes, Israel dropped nearly 150 bombs in the city.

Typically, Lebanese people have some sense of where Israeli attacks might occur, mostly in southern Lebanon or southern suburbs of Beirut. Over the years, they have grown somewhat accustomed to this. But today, Israel did not follow any pattern—it carried out indiscriminate attacks. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health:

254 people have died.

Over a thousand have been injured, and counting is ongoing.

This means thousands of people have been affected in a country of only 5.3 million. Hospitals are overflowing. Even in decades of conflict with Israel, Lebanon has never seen an attack of this scale, at least in my memory.

So why did Israel launch such an attack today?

There are two simple explanations:

Netanyahu may have acted rashly after news of the ceasefire, attempting to show strength to ordinary Israelis—demonstrating that even though there’s a ceasefire with Iran, Israel continues the fight in Lebanon.

More likely, Israel wants Iran to retaliate, giving Israel justification to continue the war. Iran had previously stated that the ceasefire must also apply in Lebanon. Just an hour ago, Iran warned:

If attacks in Lebanon don’t stop, we will not attend Friday’s negotiations on ending the war.

Meanwhile, Trump reportedly said:

“I was not aware Lebanon was under a ceasefire.”

Consider the implications—Trump, essentially a puppet in Netanyahu’s plans, appears uninformed. Former U.S. National Counterterrorism Chief Joe Kent, appointed by Trump, resigned stating:

“This is an immoral war.”

After the ceasefire, he described it as “fragile” and warned that Israel might attempt to sabotage peace at any time. Without U.S. checks, lasting peace in the Middle East is unlikely.

It is now clear that prior to the war, Trump and Netanyahu held meetings with Joe Kent at the table. Kent revealed that Netanyahu convinced Trump to initiate this war.

Will this ceasefire hold? Al Jazeera columnist John Power recently wrote that Iran and China are attempting to reduce the influence of the U.S. dollar via the Strait of Hormuz. Post-ceasefire, Iran may charge tolls in Chinese currency instead of USD, weakening America’s global dollar hegemony. Even if Trump agrees, will the American public accept it?

CNN, traditionally aligned with Democrats, has reported critically. Fox News, representing Trump’s Republican base, now portrays the situation differently, reflecting the real character of major U.S. media.

European nations are not standing idle. Today, the UK, Germany, and EU countries collectively urged all parties to respect the ceasefire, emphasizing that Israel must halt its attacks in Lebanon.

Whether Israel will comply remains uncertain. At any moment, they could strike elsewhere and blame Iran or its proxies. The ceasefire is fragile, and the world must wait patiently to see its effectiveness.

One thing is certain: if the war ends completely, U.S. influence will decline. If Israel, backed by the U.S., continues the war, American imperial influence will collapse. Even if no side “wins,” the U.S. will emerge as a clear loser.