Lebanon experienced one of the deadliest days in its recent history, as widespread Israeli air strikes brought horror and destruction to the country on Wednesday, just hours after a ceasefire was announced in Iran. The attacks, that came in the middle of the day without warning, killed more than 300 people, a third of them women, children and the elderly, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Some of the attacks hit busy, densely populated neighbourhoods, places that had not been targeted before and where people felt they were safe.
Israel said it carried out more than 100 air strikes in just 10 minutes on what it described as targets linked to the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah. BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega has spoken to residents in Beirut, a city that is still in shock. Mojtaba Khamenei hasn’t been seen in public since March - but AI-generated images of him continue to spread online.
The US has launched the strikes on Iran in response to attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil was outside the Iran v New Zealand opening round match as protesters called for an end to Tehran’s clerical regime. It's not clear if the deal means the Israelis will pause their offensive in Lebanon, BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen reports.
In a call with the US president, the BBC’s Sarah Smith asked Trump about the war in Iran and his relationship with the Israeli leader. The BBC's international editor, Jeremy Bowen, said the public are "right to be worried" as the consequences of the war will be felt for generations. BBC correspondent John Sudworth reports from the Beirut stronghold of Hezbollah support, Dahieh.
One person was killed and more than 60 injured in the Iranian drone strike on Wednesday. BBC’s Sarah Smith looks at why both countries are in a tense cycle of negotiations, despite the progress President Trump consistently claims. Verified videos show strikes on densely populated neighbourhoods in southern Lebanon.
Tens of thousands of Israeli celebrants have marched through the area captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Iranian authorities have imposed an internet ban but using trusted sources, special correspondent Fergal Keane hears from those traumatised by conflict and government repression. Thousands of people have taken part in the Palestine Marathon, which returns to Bethlehem after a two-year pause over the Gaza War.
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