Israel-Lebanon conflict death toll exceeds 3,600 as ceasefire collapses

Since early March, Israeli air strikes on Lebanon have continued despite a series of U.S.-brokered ceasefires that began on 17 April and were extended on 17 May for another 45 days. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports that the death toll has risen to more than 3,600 civilians, with injuries exceeding 11,000 and over one million people displaced from their homes.

In addition to the heavy civilian casualties, reports based on New York Times‑verified imagery allege that Israeli forces have employed white‑phosphorus munitions in southern towns such as Nebatiye, Sur, El‑Kuleyha, Hiyam and Yohmor. The use of white phosphorus in populated areas is considered a violation of international humanitarian law. Lebanon has sent multiple letters to the United Nations and the UN Security Council documenting these incidents and the resulting fires that have burned more than 600 structures.

Negotiations led by the United States have produced temporary ceasefire agreements conditioned on Hezbollah withdrawing its forces from the Litani River’s southern bank, a condition that Hezbollah has rejected. Nevertheless, the fighting and air strikes persist, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire framework and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.