Ali Yusuf Harshi, the top aide of Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, was killed in Beirut strikes, which Iran has equated to a “grave violation” of the ceasefire agreement. Yusuf Harshi, who is also the nephew of the Hezbollah secretary-general, was among the 203 people killed in Israeli strikes across the country on Wednesday.
Despite the announcement of a truce, Israel has pounded Lebanon, launching its “biggest” strikes on Hezbollah targets in the country since the start of its ground invasion.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon a ‘grave violation’ of ceasefire
Reacting to Israeli attacks, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said they were a “grave violation” of the US-Iran ceasefire.
Iran has warned it will switch to full-scale defence at any moment if Israeli attacks on Lebanon are not stopped immediately. The ceasefire in Lebanon was among the key terms of the truce.
While announcing the ceasefire, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that the truce would apply everywhere, including Lebanon.
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had asked the US to choose between the ceasefire and the continued war via Israel.
“It cannot have both. The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments,” Araghchi wrote on X, along with the original ceasefire announcement by Sharif, which mentions Lebanon as part of the agreement.
Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah ‘wherever necessary’
With Iran crying foul over ceasefire violations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has clarified that Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah “wherever necessary.”
Netanyahu, who has previously stated that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire agreement, said, “Our message is clear: Anyone who acts against Israeli civilians will be targeted.”
“We will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever necessary, until we restore full security to the residents of the north,” he added.