Israel Launches Massive Strikes on Lebanon as US-Iran Ceasefire Begins

Israel launched what its military described as its largest coordinated strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, killing between 182 and 254 people and injuring nearly 900 in a single day, according to Lebanese health authorities and other reports. The Israeli army said its forces struck one hundred command posts and military infrastructure targets belonging to the Lebanese Islamist movement across the country, doing so within a ten-minute window and simultaneously across multiple areas. The strikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the cities of Sidon and Tyre. The assault came hours after a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran entered into force, brokered under the aegis of Pakistan. Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump stated explicitly that the truce did not apply to Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since March 2, 2026. Hezbollah said it was "within its rights to retaliate" following the strikes, though it had not claimed any offensive action against Israel since the previous night.

Hezbollah entered the war against Israel on March 2, 2026, according to Lebanese health authorities, who place the total death toll in Lebanon at more than 1,700 people killed and nearly 6,000 injured since that date. The broader American-Israeli military campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, targeting Iran. The two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire that came into effect on April 8, 2026, was brokered by Pakistan, with negotiations set to begin in Islamabad. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has repeatedly accused the Israeli army of intentionally targeting its positions and personnel during the conflict.

Beirut neighborhoods in flames as toll climbs toward 254 AFP journalists on the ground in Beirut described buildings in flames, charred cars, and debris covering streets as ambulances moved through the capital with sirens blaring. A new strike hit a residential neighborhood in the early evening, causing a building to partially collapse, with a girl reported trapped on one of the upper floors. The American University of Beirut Medical Center, one of the city's main hospitals, issued an appeal for blood donations of all types as ambulances arrived in a continuous stream. Witnesses described scenes of panic during peak hours in the Lebanese capital. „I saw a strike, it was very strong, children were killed, others had their arms cut off.” — Yasser Abdallah via AFP Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, who was visiting Beirut to meet with senior Lebanese officials, witnessed the strikes from the presidential palace on the heights of the city, where five detonations were heard followed by large clouds of black smoke. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported a provisional toll of at least 182 dead and 890 injured by Wednesday evening, while other reports, including from Le Monde, cited up to 254 fatalities, with authorities expecting the count to rise further.

100 (targets) — Hezbollah command posts and infrastructure struck in 10 minutes

Key events — April 8, 2026: — ; — ; — ; — ; —

Italian UNIFIL convoy hit by Israeli tank fire near Chamaa Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian Blue Helmets near the village of Chamaa in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the Italian government. Two Israeli tanks opened fire on the convoy, damaging at least two vehicles, though no members of the Italian contingent were injured. Italy is the largest contributor of personnel to UNIFIL, with approximately 1,100 soldiers deployed. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident in a statement, calling the ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon "unacceptable." Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, speaking at the G7 defense ministers' meeting in Naples, called the incident "unbearable." Rome said it had expressed its "firm protest" to Israeli authorities, and Israel informed Italy that an investigation had been opened into the incident. UNIFIL, which fields more than 10,000 soldiers from around fifty countries, has previously accused the Israeli army of intentionally targeting its positions and personnel on multiple occasions during the conflict.

Lebanon's prime minister vows diplomatic mobilization after mourning decree Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who has held the office since February 8, 2025, decreed Thursday, April 9, a day of national mourning and said his government would "mobilize all of Lebanon's political and diplomatic resources to stop the Israeli killing machine," according to his office. Salam had earlier pleaded for international support, calling on "all friends of Lebanon" to help stop the attacks "by all means." The Israeli army's spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, stated that "the disarmament of Hezbollah is a primary objective" and that Israel would not abandon that goal. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described the scale of the killings as "appalling" and called on the international community to help end what the office described as a "nightmare." Lebanese writer and artist Bruno Tabbal, speaking from Beirut, described the strikes as hitting residential neighborhoods and school exits without warning, and called on the international community to impose "real sanctions" on Israel. Sources close to Lebanese political circles, as reported by RTBF, warned that the situation risked worsening as long as President Trump did not pressure Israel to include Lebanon in any ceasefire framework.

„It is not a military operation, it is a premeditated aggression, it is a carnage.” — Bruno Tabbal via Franceinfo