Israel launches a barrage of strikes across Beirut, Lebanon

Israeli strikes have hit central Beirut without warning, causing panic after the announcement of the ceasefire in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Wednesday's strikes in the Lebanese capital came after Israel said the ceasefire does not apply to its fight with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. President Donald Trump later said Lebanon was not included in the deal. Israel's military said it hit over 100 targets in Beirut and other areas. Lebanon's health ministry said at least 89 people were killed and 700 were wounded. Associated Press journalists saw charred bodies in cars at one of the capital's busiest intersections. Hezbollah has not agreed to the ceasefire. Displaced families face uncertainty.

A ceasefire deal to pause the war in Iran appears to be hanging by a thread after the Islamic Republic closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The White House demanded Wednesday that the channel be reopened and sought to keep peace talks on track. The U.S. and Iran both claimed victory after reaching the agreement, and world leaders expressed relief, even as more drones and missiles hit Iran and Gulf Arab countries. Israel intensified its attacks on the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, killing least 112 people in one of the deadliest days in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.