war crimes

Greater Israel: Coming soon to a neighbour near you; lines may change without notice

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

by Dr Mustafa Fetouri MFetouri

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displays map during United Nations 79th General Assembly (UNGA) speech showing West Bank, Gaza as ‘Israel’ on September 27, 2024 in New York, United States [Fatih Aktaş/Anadolu Agency]

For seven decades, Israel has functioned not within fixed borders, but through the calculated deployment of “fluid lines.” From the 1947 Partition Plan to modern military doctrines, its geography remains a moving target—a series of unilateral impositions designed to facilitate expansion while evading international law. Effectively, Israel recognizes no definitive borders for itself, nor does it respect the sovereign boundaries of its neighbors. From Iran to Egypt, international borders are treated as mere sketches on a map rather than inviolable markers. This refusal to define its own limits maintains a permanent “frontier status,” where expansion is the only constant and international law is merely an optional suggestion.

We must not lose sight of the factual reality: immediately upon its creation on stolen Palestinian land, Israel was ostensibly bound by UN Resolution 181. This 1947 Partition Plan was presented by the international community as a definitive blueprint for borders—borders that the Zionist leadership, in truth, never intended to inhabit. 

History records that while the Jewish Agency publicly accepted the plan to gain international legitimacy, its leaders privately viewed it as a mere “first step.” As David Ben-Gurion told the Zionist Executive at the time, statehood was a tool to “abolish partition and expand to the whole of Palestine.” 

Following the 1948 war and the catastrophic displacement of the Palestinian people, the 1949 Armistice Agreements established the “Green Line.” It is a crucial distinction that this was never a “border” in the legal sense; at the insistence of both sides at the time, it was defined strictly as a military demarcation line “without prejudice to future political settlements.” However, while the UN’s intention was for this line to serve as the baseline for a future two-state reality, the Israeli leadership envisioned it only as a temporary pause.

By refusing to formalize these lines into permanent, recognized borders, Israel ensured its strategic flexibility—allowing it to treat the map as a work in progress, to be redrawn by force whenever the political winds allowed. 

Today, the Green Line remains a strategic phantom. In the Zionist calculus, it is an optical illusion maintained for the consumption of the international community, while on the ground, it has been systematically erased by relentless settlement expansion. This “orthographic minimalism” applied to geography ensures the state remains in a permanent state of flux; it facilitates a “creeping annexation” that renders the logic of a two-state solution not only obsolete but self-defeating.

As the physical Green Line faded into geopolitical irrelevance, a new vocabulary emerged: the “Yellow Line.” This is no longer a fixed geographic marker, but a calibrated political-military tool used to project power across the region.

Unlike a border, the Yellow Line is an elastic boundary of “permissible” presence—a shifting gray zone that Israel expands or contracts to justify incursions, surveillance, and the gradual absorption of neighboring space under the guise of security necessity.

In Gaza and Lebanon, this strategy of fluid boundaries has transitioned into a violent re-mapping of the Levant. In Gaza, Israel has seized a significant portion of the devastated Strip under the perennial pretext of “security,” creating deep buffer zones that effectively shrink the territory. This occurs even as diplomatic overtures—such as Trump’s “Deal of the Century” and various “ceasefire” frameworks—theoretically dictate a full withdrawal. The reality on the ground mocks the paper promises; the “line” in Gaza is currently defined by the tread of a tank, not the ink of a treaty.

READ: Former US official: Iran war is direct extension of ‘Greater Israel’ project

In Lebanon, the encroachment is even more brazen. Despite the technical existence of a ceasefire, the Yellow Line—now functioning as an aggressive “Security Line”—has pushed far beyond the UN-recognized Blue Line. It appears to have reached northward to the Litani River, effectively encompassing the entirety of South Lebanon. This is a profound historical regression; this very land was only liberated from Israeli occupation in 2000 through the sustained efforts of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance and its allies.

By unilaterally redrawing this line at the Litani, Israel is attempting to undo decades of Lebanese sovereignty, treating the South once again as a “frontier” to be managed by force rather than a border to be respected.

In the case of Iran, the discourse surrounding its nuclear program serves as the ultimate expression of the “Red Line” doctrine. Here, the term is weaponized to claim a total monopoly on regional security and to safeguard Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge—a mandated policy ensuring that no regional rival can achieve military or technological parity. These lines are not fixed by international law, nor are they rooted in objective security requirements; rather, they are unilaterally redefined according to Israeli strategic desires and bolstered by unconditional American financial, diplomatic, and military support.The ultimate goal remains the realization of the “Greater Israel” project. While historically this was pursued through conventional warfare and territorial seizure, we are witnessing a new phase of this expansion. Today, the project is being advanced through normalization.

The ultimate realization of the “Greater Israel” project is no longer being pursued solely through conventional warfare; it is now being finalized through normalization. By bypassing the Palestinian issue and establishing diplomatic and economic “lines” across the Arab world, Israel seeks to validate its territorial gains without ever committing to a definitive map. This strategy has enabled it to cultivate a network of both open and secret allies, even among Arab nations, effectively turning regional neighbors into partners in its “frontier” logic.

This is the shift from physical conquest to systemic hegemony.

The symbolic and the religious are frequently invoked here; historical narratives and biblical references are weaponized to frame these strategic choices as a “divine right” rather than a flagrant violation of modern international norms.

By refusing to settle within fixed borders, Israel maintains a permanent “frontier mentality” that thrives on perpetual conflict and the constant outward push of its influence.

Today, “Greater Israel” is a fact on the ground—a strategic reality that stretches its shadow from the borders of Iran to the gates of Egypt. This is a state defined not by geography, but by the “Red Lines” it imposes on others and the “Yellow Lines” it erases for itself. The inherent danger of this strategy is that such boundaries are unstable by design. When a state’s security is predicated on the constant movement of its political and physical boundaries, peace becomes a secondary concern.

In this framework, the primary goal is not coexistence, but a regional hegemony that ensures no border in the Middle East is ever truly inviolable.

OPINION: After the ceasefire illusion: Why Gaza’s “Day After” still has no buyer?

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingGreater Israel: Coming soon to a neighbour near you; lines may change without notice

Israel warns US: Deterrence against Hezbollah is eroding

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

US President Donald Trump (R) meets with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) at the White House on February 11, in Washington DC, United States. [Avi Ohayon – GPO – Anadolu Agency]

Israel has told the US administration that its current policy of restraint in Lebanon is undermining its deterrent capability and serving Hezbollah’s interests.

Channel 12 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump in a phone call. It said Netanyahu warned that relying only on reactive responses, without taking the initiative, gives Hezbollah an opportunity to recover and strengthen its ideological position, while exposing Israeli forces on the ground to growing risks.

According to the Israeli position, the continued use of limited operations is gradually eroding deterrence and negatively affecting the security of residents in the north, as well as the army’s operational readiness.

READ: Netanyahu orders ‘special project’ to counter Hezbollah drones

In this context, Netanyahu has asked Trump to urgently limit the duration of the diplomatic track with the Lebanese government to no more than mid-May, meaning around two to three weeks.

This comes after Trump rejected an Iranian proposal that included a ceasefire and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz before discussions on the nuclear file. 

Tel Aviv believes that continued Hezbollah attacks on northern forces and communities are undermining the chances of any successful negotiations. It is calling on Washington to set a clear timeframe, and if talks fail within that period, to allow it to “return to the original plan”, a reference to wider military escalation, according to Channel 12.

Israel views US restrictions as limiting its freedom of military action and giving Hezbollah space to reorganise. With no clear timeline for how long this policy will continue, the decision is largely linked to Washington’s desire to maintain a broader negotiating track with Iran, placing Tel Aviv in a complex position between US strategic calculations and its own immediate security needs.

READ: Report: Hezbollah drone tactics expose Israeli gaps despite advanced systems

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsrael warns US: Deterrence against Hezbollah is eroding

Iranian Group Submits Evidence of US-Israeli War Crimes to International Criminal Court

Spread the love

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Representatives from more than a dozen foreign diplomatic missions, United Nations offices, and the media view damage at sites bombed by the US and Israel on April 20, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

“All cases of attacks on civilians are being legally pursued based on the Geneva Conventions,” said the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Saturday that his organization has submitted evidence of US-Israeli war crimes to the International Criminal Court and other global bodies, seeking accountability for massive attacks on civilian infrastructure and other violations.

“The ICC prosecutor announced that the documents provided by the IRCS are accepted as official evidence,” said Pir-Hossein Koulivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society. “All cases of attacks on civilians are being legally pursued based on the Geneva Conventions.”

RECOMMENDED…

U.S. And Israel Wage War Against Iran

100+ International Law Experts Say US Strikes on Iran Violate UN Charter, Could Be War Crimes

A woman walks among buildings destroyed in a joint attack by Israel and the United States in Iran

Iranian American Group: Congress Must Use ‘All Tools’ to Probe Trump Assault on Civilians

The IRCS estimates that US and Israeli airstrikes have destroyed more than 132,000 civilian structures throughout Iran, including hospitals, apartment buildings, universities, research facilities, and bridges. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy all of Iran’s bridges and power plants if the country’s leadership does not succumb to his administration’s demands in negotiations to end the war.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the founding chief prosecutor of the ICC, said earlier this month that Trump could be indicted if he follows through on his threats.

“My suggestion: You read the indictment of the Russians, change the name, and it is very similar,” said Ocampo, referring to ICC arrest warrants issued against senior Russian officials in 2024 for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

In a series of social media posts on Saturday, the IRCS provided video footage and photographic evidence of what the group described as war crimes committed by the US and Israeli militaries.

“Among the most bitter war crimes of America and Israel in Iran is the attack on the home of 19-month-old Helma in Tabriz, in which four members of her family were martyred,” the IRCS wrote Saturday. “The only survivor of this family is Helma.”

The ICC is tasked with investigating and prosecuting individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other grave violations of international law. Iran is not currently a party to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC—so the court does not have jurisdiction over war crimes committed on Iranian territory.

Human rights organizations and advocates have implored Iran to grant the ICC jurisdiction to pursue justice for war crimes committed during the illegal US-Israeli assault that began on February 28. On the first day of the war, the US bombed an elementary school in southern Iran.

“From the killing of over 150 students and teachers to strikes on hospitals full of newborns, every day more and more evidence emerges pointing to the commission of grave war crimes in Iran since the start of the war,” said Omar Shakir, executive director of DAWN. “Victims deserve justice. The mechanisms exist, and the US has no veto over them.”

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote earlier this month that “the Iranian government could join the court now and grant it retroactive jurisdiction, similar to what Ukraine did to allow prosecution of Russian war crimes.”

Last month, the IRCS formally requested that the ICC initiate “an investigation into war crimes arising from attacks by the United States of America and the Israeli regime against civilian objects.”

“According to field reports from relief workers, operational documentation, and data recorded by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, a wide range of residential areas, medical facilities, schools, humanitarian facilities, vital urban infrastructure, and public places were directly or indiscriminately targeted during the recent military attacks,” the group wrote in a letter to the ICC’s top prosecutor.

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Continue ReadingIranian Group Submits Evidence of US-Israeli War Crimes to International Criminal Court

Israel Continues ‘Gaza Tactics’ in Lebanon, Leveling Villages and Homes in Violation of Ceasefire

Spread the love

Original article by Stephen Prager republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

A woman surveys the damage to her home that was destroyed by an Israeli air-strike that killed seven of her neighbors in Nabatieh on the second day of a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon, on April 18, 2026, in Nabatieh, Lebanon. (Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)

UN experts have said Israel’s “destruction of urban and village housing that displaced persons would have returned to, is consistent with the pattern of domicide that was initiated during the genocide in Gaza.”

Despite a ceasefire announced Friday, after US President Donald Trump said Israel was “PROHIBITED” from continuing to strike Lebanon, Israel continued to level villages and homes across southern Lebanon from Friday into Saturday in what has been described as a continuation of its “Gaza tactics.”

Just as it did in Gaza, Israeli Army Radio announced Friday night that Israel had established a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon about 10 kilometers north of the Israeli border, effectively allowing Israel to occupy about 10% of Lebanese territory and maintain control of 55 towns and villages.

RECOMMENDED…

Israel Continues Air Strikes And Ground Offensive In Lebanon

Israel Defense Minister Deploys ‘Gaza Model’ in Lebanon, Ordering Destruction of Villages

Lebanese-Israeli conflict - Beirut

Despite Ceasefire With Iran, Israel Pummels Lebanon With ‘Apocalyptic’ Strikes

According to a report by Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research, Israeli forces have been destroying more than 1,000 homes per day since March 2, sometimes wiping out entire villages across southern Lebanon.

The campaign escalated later in the month after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to “accelerate the destruction of Lebanese homes” near the Israeli border based on the “model in Gaza,” where Israel has destroyed around 90% of all infrastructure and left most of the population sheltering in tents.

Israel has described this as an effort to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure. But the razing of entire villages has often appeared indiscriminate, and numerous attacks have targeted or damaged schools, hospitals, and other nonmilitary infrastructure. More than 40,000 homes have reportedly been destroyed or damaged.

Demolitions and land-clearing operations have continued after Friday’s ceasefire, according to reporters on the ground in Lebanon for Al Jazeera. Israeli artillery also reportedly shelled areas around Beit Lif, al-Qantara, and Toul.

On Friday, Israel warned tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians in southern Lebanon not to return to their homes despite the ceasefire, although some have begun to make the trek anyway. Many have found their former homes reduced to rubble.

“There’s destruction, and it’s unlivable,” said one resident who was displaced from his home in Nabatieh. “We’re taking our things and leaving again.”

Israel said Saturday that it had also carried out new airstrikes in southern Lebanon against people who approached the newly established yellow line. The Israeli military claimed that individuals crossed from north of the line toward Israeli troops, prompting “precise strikes” by air and ground forces against them.

An Israeli military statement described those approaching as “terrorists” who violated the ceasefire and said it carried out the strikes in “self-defense against threats.” However, it did not specify what threat those approaching the line posed.

Previous attacks that Israel has said were directed at Hezbollah fighters have devastated civilian areas in southern Lebanon, as well as Beirut and its surrounding suburbs.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between military and civilian casualties, more than 2,167 people have been killed since Israel renewed its attacks in Lebanon on March 2.

In Gaza, despite a ceasefire, nearly 100 Palestinians have been killed near the yellow line since it was established in October 2025. Those killed have included at least 36 women, children, and elderly people, according to TRT World.

On Wednesday, a group of United Nations experts denounced what they called Israel’s “illegal aggression and indiscriminate bombing campaign” aimed at occupying land in violation of the UN Charter.

“The issuance of blanket evacuation orders, combined with the destruction of urban and village housing that displaced persons would have returned to, is consistent with the pattern of domicide that was initiated during the genocide in Gaza,” they warned.

On Saturday, a group of peacekeepers with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon also came under attack, resulting in the death of a French soldier. Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and pledged to identify the “perpetrators.”

UN peacekeepers and French officials have said the attack was most likely carried out by Hezbollah, but Hezbollah has denied responsibility.

Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon also threaten to derail not only its ceasefire with Lebanon but also the US ceasefire with Iran.

After the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on Friday, Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted travel. But on Saturday, following reports of Israel’s violations of the ceasefire, it was once again closed.

While Iranian officials said the proximate reason for the closure was the continuation of US President Donald Trump’s blockade of the strait, they have also indicated that they want Israel to stop attacking Lebanon as part of the ceasefire.

Original article by Stephen Prager republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsrael Continues ‘Gaza Tactics’ in Lebanon, Leveling Villages and Homes in Violation of Ceasefire

Israel Strikes Lebanon Less Than an Hour After Trump Says It’s ‘PROHIBITED’ From More Attacks

Spread the love

Original article by Stephen Prager republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Residents return to check the aftermath of their businesses and houses on the first day of a ceasefire agreement on April 17, 2026, north of Saida in Nabatieh, Lebanon. (Photo by Adri Salido/Getty Images)

“This fragile truce must not be undermined,” said the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Less than an hour after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel was “PROHIBITED” from attacking Lebanon under a 10-day ceasefire reached Friday, an Israeli drone strike reportedly killed at least one person in southern Lebanon.

Citing Lebanese media, The Times of Israel reported that an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle between the southern towns of Khounine and Beit Yahoun. The Israel Defense Forces have not commented on the attack.

RECOMMENDED…

A woman without a head covering walks by a mural depicting an Iranian hand squeezing closed the Strait of Hormuz

Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz After Israel-Lebanon Truce as Trump Continues Blockade

Lebanese-Israeli conflict - Beirut

Despite Ceasefire With Iran, Israel Pummels Lebanon With ‘Apocalyptic’ Strikes

It was the latest in what the Lebanese Army said on Friday morning were “a number of violations” of the ceasefire within hours of it going into effect at midnight local time on Friday, as well as “intermittent shelling targeting a number of villages.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that hours after the ceasefire went into effect, Israel struck an ambulance in the town of Khounine, near the Israeli border, which resulted in multiple casualties among the medical workers.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon since early March have killed nearly 2,300 people, according to Lebanese health officials and forced evacuation orders from Israel have resulted in the displacement of more than 1.2 million.

Trump said in a Friday social media post that under the framework reached Friday, “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”

The US president has insisted that any agreement between Israel and Lebanon is separate from his ongoing two-week truce with Iran. Although Iran also announced on Friday that, following the Lebanon agreement, it stopped blocking travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi has specified that “the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire” between Israel and Lebanon.

Trump has claimed that the Iranian government “agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again,” and that the US will maintain its naval blockade of Iran.

Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon have already put the peace deal between the US and Iran in jeopardy. After Iran briefly reopened the strait in response to the two-week ceasefire earlier this month, it began blocking travel again after Israel launched its most devastating attacks on Lebanon of the entire war, which killed hundreds of civilians.

Israel launched the attacks despite Lebanon having initially been announced as a party to the ceasefire, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Trump quickly rejected.

After another agreement with Israel was reached on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged that the opportunity “must not be squandered because it may not come again.”

According to the US State Department, the agreement reached Friday still grants Israel the “right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.” However, it is not clear at this time what imminent attack Friday’s strikes were intended to prevent.

Israel routinely violated its previous ceasefire with Lebanon that began in November 2024, with more than 10,000 air and land attacks over the first year, which the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said demonstrated a “total disregard of the ceasefire agreement.” It has done the same in Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire began in October 2025.

Netanyahu said on Friday that despite the ceasefire, Israel will continue its occupation of Southern Lebanon, where satellite images show the military has totally razed several towns and villages in what Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has described as a continuation of the “Gaza model,” which left most buildings in the strip totally destroyed.

Israel’s military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an “urgent message” to displaced Lebanese civilians following the ceasefire, urging them not to return to their homes south of the Litani River “until further notice.”

According to The Associated Press, thousands have begun heading home regardless to find their villages reduced to rubble.

“Across the country, roads are already congested with hopeful families trying to return to their homes. That alone shows how deeply people want this war to end,” said Jan Egeland, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s secretary general.

“This fragile truce must not be undermined. We cannot afford a repeat of the ineffective 2024 ceasefire, which saw countless violations. Worryingly, there are already reports of violations by the Israeli army, which also issued a warning against civilians returning to their homes south of the Litani river, home to hundreds of thousands of people,” Egeland said. “For this ceasefire to be meaningful for civilians, it must lead to a real and durable halt in hostilities.”

Original article by Stephen Prager republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsrael Strikes Lebanon Less Than an Hour After Trump Says It’s ‘PROHIBITED’ From More Attacks