Beirut, Lebanon. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Monday that Israel had carried out nearly 3,500 air strikes on Lebanon and hundreds of controlled explosions since a U.S.-announced ceasefire took effect in April. He said Lebanon was seeking to uphold the ceasefire despite continued fighting in the south and new displacement pressures.
Ceasefire and strike figures
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect just after midnight on April 17, with Israeli troops still positioned deep inside southern Lebanon. While it has largely halted air strikes on Beirut and its suburbs, it has not stopped fighting in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group.
In comments published by his office on X after a cabinet meeting, Salam said that from April 17 to June 7, Israel had carried out 3,491 air strikes, 407 controlled demolitions and six razing operations. He said some entire villages in the southernmost strip of Lebanon had been completely flattened.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Displacement concerns
Salam said the latest escalation between Iran and Israel had triggered additional waves of displacement, adding to the strain on Lebanon’s capacity to host families fleeing violence.
More than 1 million people, about a fifth of Lebanon’s population, have already been displaced by Israeli strikes and evacuation warnings across Lebanon since the war began on March 2.
Regional escalation
The latest conflict began when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of its ally Iran, which was being struck by Israel and the United States.
Hezbollah has continued firing at Israel and has rejected U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials aimed at reinforcing the ceasefire with a lasting agreement.
On Sunday, Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs in response to Hezbollah fire on northern Israel. Tehran then bombed northern Israel, and Israel fired back at various locations in Iran.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said ceasefires in the Middle East involved “shooting in a more moderate manner,” rather than a complete halt in fighting.