Nasser Khdour on massive Israeli attacks over Lebanon despite ceasefire

Nasser Khdour, Middle East Assistant Research Manager at ACLED, said: 

“Israel’s attacks in Lebanon have continued despite the two-week ceasefire agreed on April 7 between the United States and Iran, with Israel’s widespread wave of airstrikes on 8 April across the country. 

“Israel seems not to accept any arrangement that limits its freedom of action in Lebanon, even if that means undermining the already fragile de-escalation between Washington and Tehran as Iranian officials continue to frame the truce as part of a broader regional arrangement that should extend to allied groups, including Hezbollah.

“From Israel’s perspective, continuing operations in Lebanon remains critical. Israel’s aims are not only to degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities, but also to sustain pressure on Lebanon’s fragile internal debate over Hezbollah’s weapons, its role in decisions of war and peace, and the principle of state monopoly over the use of force. This also reflects the broader shift in Israeli security thinking after the October 7 attack, marked by a greater willingness to conduct cross-border operations, act preemptively against perceived threats, and establish expanded security buffer zones.

“More broadly, the question of whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire remains part of the wider conflict between Israel and Iran’s so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’ as Israel seeks to weaken the idea of the “unity of fronts” that Iran and its allies have tried to advance in recent years.”