Diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon showed tentative signs of progress on Thursday, even as Israel continued heavy air strikes against its northern neighbor.
Pressing ahead with its offensive against Hezbollah, Israel targeted Beirut’s Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs for a third consecutive day. Intense attacks were also reported in the eastern city of Baalbek, where Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, an additional 11 people died in Israeli aerial bombardments of towns in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,386 people in the country through Wednesday since October 7, 2023. The ongoing conflict has exacerbated the suffering of a nation still reeling from a financial collapse five years ago.
Hezbollah attacks have resulted in the deaths of about 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon over the past year, according to Israeli sources.
A recent World Bank report estimated that the physical damage and economic losses due to the conflict in Lebanon amount to $8.5 billion. The staggering cost underscores the urgent need for a resolution to prevent further devastation.
In a hopeful development, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon on Thursday submitted a draft truce proposal to Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri, according to two senior Lebanese political sources. The draft represents Washington’s first written proposal to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in several weeks.
As diplomatic channels remain cautiously optimistic, the people of Lebanon continue to endure the hardships imposed by the ongoing conflict. The international community watches closely, hoping that ceasefire efforts will soon bring an end to the violence.
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Lebanese ceasefire efforts inch ahead as Israel continues air strikes
cgtn.com
