Australia ‘firmly believes’ Lebanon should be included in Middle East ceasefire as Israel escalates Beirut bombing

<p>PM calls pause in hostilities a ‘fragile piece’ as Australia issues joint call with Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Sierra Leone and UK for aid worker protections</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/apr/09/anthony-albanese-singapore-visit-fuel-crisis-middle-east-ceasefire-lebanon-strikes-politics-labor-coalition-reactions-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Australia says Lebanon must be included in the Middle East ceasefire and has led a group of other countries in expressing deep concern about “the worsening humanitarian situation and displacement crisis” as Israel escalates its bombing campaign on Beirut and the country’s south.</p><p>Overnight, Israel carried out its largest attack on Lebanon since its war with Hezbollah began, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/08/israel-operations-in-lebanon-to-continue-despite-trump-ceasefire-iran-pakistan-hezbollah">killing at least 254 people and wounding 837</a>, an assault that prompted Iranian officials to warn Tehran could withdraw from the ceasefire agreed with the US this week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/09/penny-wong-joint-statement-aid-workers-lebanon-ceasefire">Continue reading...</a>