Ceasefire Illusion: Israel Continues Strikes as Lebanon Reports 4,319 Deaths

Original article: Alto el fuego de cartón: Israel sigue atacando y Líbano ya suma 4.319 muertos

The ceasefire remains a mirage as bombs from Israel continue to fall. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health has reported 15 new fatalities, bringing the total death toll to 4,319 since the beginning of hostilities on March 2, amidst systematic violations of agreements by Tel Aviv.

In the latest tally, the health ministry revealed that 12,203 civilians have been injured, within a context of escalating tension where Israeli aggression shows no signs of abating, turning the ceasefire agreements signed in November 2024 by Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime and reinforced with a bilateral framework under U.S. auspices on June 26 into mere words. The Zionist entity continues to attack towns, villages, cities, and Lebanese civil infrastructure.

Indeed, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli forces demolished several houses in the village of Aitaroun, located in the southern part of the country.

Simultaneously, they bombarded the locality of Houla in the Marjeyoun district and maintained a continuous drone surveillance presence.

The main obstacle to the agreement lies in its ambiguity and the conditions imposed for Israeli withdrawal. While it stipulates a gradual evacuation starting from two pilot zones, the text lacks a concrete timeline for the rest of the occupied territory. This absence of clear deadlines allows Israel almost unlimited maneuvering room, enabling it to extend its military presence at will. Withdrawal is conditional upon the Lebanese army taking full control of security in the evacuated areas.

Furthermore, the pact ties withdrawal to the disarmament of non-state groups, a clear reference to Hezbollah, turning the process into a political and military bargaining chip. This clause, in the hands of Israel, becomes a perpetual pressure mechanism to justify its actions.

Far from progressing towards peace, the military offensive has intensified, with Israeli troops penetrating over 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon, occupying areas that have, in some cases, been under Israeli control for decades, and others that were battlegrounds during the 2013-2014 war, as noted by Prensa Latina.

These coordinated attacks highlight Israel’s strategy to subject Lebanese territory to relentless siege, ignoring diplomatic calls and intentionally increasing civilian casualties.

However, the international community watches passively as this escalation unfolds, while the Tel Aviv government pursues its war agenda without accountability.

In this context, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called on the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories in the south.

«Pressure must be exerted on Israel to leave the areas it occupies in Lebanon. This occupation undermines the legitimacy of the state and prevents the deployment of the army and the achievement of a just and lasting peace,» he stated.