Iran fires on northern Israel hours after ceasefire takes hold
Last updated: 16:16 UTC, April 08 2026 | Started: 2026-04-08 13:36 | 2 update(s) | Avg confidence: 82/100
The story so far: The 2026 Iran war began on February 28, 2026, when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran — dubbed Operation Epic Fury — killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeting nuclear, missile and leadership infrastructure. Iran retaliated with hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel, US bases and Gulf Arab states, and closed the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict escalated from years of proxy warfare, the June 2025 Twelve-Day War, and the collapse of nuclear negotiations, with Iran's proxy Hezbollah opening a parallel front in Lebanon.
Latest Updates
2026-04-08 16:16 — Iran fires on northern Israel hours after ceasefire takes hold
Within hours of a US-Iran two-week ceasefire taking effect on April 8, the Israeli military confirmed ballistic missile attacks from Iran, with early warnings issued across central and northern Israel, according to CNBC and the Israeli military.
See full breakdown (URL pending)
2026-04-08 13:36 — Israel strikes Beirut's Corniche Al Mazraa as ceasefire row erupts
Israel struck Beirut without warning on April 8, with powerful blasts hitting the densely populated neighbourhoods of Barbour, Corniche Al Mazraa, Ain Al Mreisseh and Burj Abi Haidar, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported. At least eight people were killed across Lebanon in the day's attacks, NNA said.
See full breakdown (URL pending)
What We Know
- Israel struck Beirut without warning on April 8, with powerful blasts hitting the densely populated neighbourhoods of Barbour, Corniche Al Mazraa, Ain Al Mreisseh and Burj Abi Haidar, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported. At least eight people were killed across Lebanon in the day's attacks, NNA said.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreed with Washington does not apply to Lebanon, and that Israel would continue operations contingent on Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks on Israel and regional partners, according to his office's published statement.
- Iran directly contradicted Netanyahu, asserting the truce encompasses 'all fronts,' including support for the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, per a diplomatic source cited by AFP. A Lebanese political source close to Hezbollah told The National that the group had been 'notified of a ceasefire' and was 'committed to it since this morning,' but warned its position would depend on Israel's actions.
- An Israeli strike also hit Hiram hospital in Tyre, 'causing extensive damage to the building, including patient rooms and the hospital entrance,' NNA reported, with four people killed in a building near the hospital. Israeli evacuation orders now cover more than 1,470 sq km — approximately 14 percent of Lebanese territory — according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
- IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir approved plans to 'advance the targeted ground operations and strikes' against Hezbollah, describing what he called a 'prolonged operation.' The IDF on April 3 separately acknowledged that fully disarming Hezbollah militarily was unrealistic without occupying all of Lebanon, signalling a strategic shift toward reestablishing a South Lebanon security zone.
- Within hours of a US-Iran two-week ceasefire taking effect on April 8, the Israeli military confirmed ballistic missile attacks from Iran, with early warnings issued across central and northern Israel, according to CNBC and the Israeli military.
- The United States and Iran agreed to the ceasefire — announced by President Trump on April 7 via Truth Social — based on a 10-point framework mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief General Asim Munir; Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under the deal, according to AP and multiple wire services.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted the ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon, contradicting Pakistani mediator Sharif's statement that the truce covers all fronts; Israel then launched what the IDF called its largest coordinated strike of the war, hitting more than 100 Hezbollah targets in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, according to PBS/AP.
- Lebanon's health ministry said dozens were killed and hundreds wounded in the Israeli strikes on central Beirut on April 8, AP reported; Iranian media said Iran briefly paused Strait of Hormuz traffic in protest at Israel's continuing Lebanon operations.
- The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar activated air defenses against incoming Iranian missiles and drones within hours of the ceasefire announcement, according to CNBC, with Gulf interceptor stockpiles already severely depleted — Bahrain estimated to have used 87% of its Patriot interceptors by late March, per the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
Still Unclear
- Office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (published statement, April 8, 2026): Netanyahu's office says the US-Iran ceasefire explicitly does not cover Lebanon and Israeli operations will continue there.
Iranian diplomatic source cited by AFP; Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Al-Moussawi: Iran says the truce encompasses all fronts, including Lebanon, and insisted on Lebanon's inclusion as a condition of the agreement.
- Israel Defense Forces: The IDF claimed to have killed approximately 1,000 Hezbollah fighters since the war began on March 2.
Internal Hezbollah sources cited by Reuters: Internal Hezbollah sources said that over 400 Hezbollah fighters had been killed in the war.
- (Unverified — single source; Israeli military told AFP it was 'not aware' of such an incident; Al Jazeera could not independently verify) Hezbollah claimed on April 5 to have fired a cruise missile at an Israeli warship approximately 126 km off the Lebanese coast. [Hezbollah statement]
- NPR / AP, April 8, 2026: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the US, Iran and their allies agreed to a ceasefire 'everywhere,' including Lebanon.
IDF spokesperson statement / PBS NewsHour, April 8, 2026: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon and that Israel will continue operating against Hezbollah across all fronts.
- NPR / Iranian Supreme National Security Council statement, April 8, 2026: Iran's Supreme National Security Council declared 'nearly all the objectives of the war have been achieved' and framed the ceasefire as a victory.
NPR, citing anonymous senior Israeli official, April 8, 2026: A senior Israeli official told reporters the US has assured Israel it will insist on the removal of enriched uranium from Iran, an end to enrichment, and elimination of Iran's ballistic missile program as conditions of any final deal.
- (Unverified — state media only — not independently corroborated by a Tier-1 wire agency at time of reporting) Iran paused traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on April 8 in direct response to Israel's strikes in Lebanon after the ceasefire announcement. [Iranian state media, cited by Wikipedia/Wikipedia]
- (Unverified — single aggregated headline reference; full transcript not independently verified at time of research) Trump told PBS that 'everyone knows' Lebanon is not part of the Iran ceasefire. [Haaretz headline, April 8, 2026]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Total killed in Lebanon since March 2, 2026 | 1,497 people (including fighters and civilians) | Lebanon Ministry of Public Health, as of April 6, 2026 |
| People displaced in Lebanon | 1.2 million (approximately 22% of Lebanon's population) | United Nations / UNHCR data cited by Al Jazeera and ACLED, late March–April 2026 |
| Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since March 2 | More than 1,840 attacks | Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), cited by Al Jazeera |
| Hezbollah projectiles fired at Israel since March 2 | 5,000 projectiles (by March 31) | Reuters, cited by FDD Long War Journal |
| Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon war | At least 13 | United Nations, cited by CFR |
| Estimated regional economic loss from the Middle East conflict | $120–194 billion in lost GDP output (3.7–6% regional GDP decline) | United Nations Development Program (UNDP), April 2026 |
| Lebanese territory under Israeli evacuation orders | More than 1,470 sq km (~14% of Lebanon) | Norwegian Refugee Council, cited by Al Jazeera |
| Total US-Israeli strikes on Iran since Feb 28 | 3,000+ | ACLED conflict monitor, cited by CNBC, April 8, 2026 |
| Total Iranian strikes on Israel and Gulf states since Feb 28 | 1,511 | ACLED conflict monitor, cited by CNBC, April 8, 2026 |
| Deaths in Lebanon (militants and civilians) from 2026 Lebanon war by early April | 1,400+ | Wikipedia / 2026 Iran war article, citing multiple sources |
| Preliminary total war deaths (Iran, Israel, Gulf states combined) | 2,076 in Iran; at least 26 in Israel; 13 US soldiers; 28 in Gulf states | Al Jazeera live tracker, March–April 2026 |
| Oil price movement after ceasefire announcement | Fell toward $90/barrel; US stocks surged 2.7% | AP, April 8, 2026 |
| Estimated US military cost of war (as of March 19) | $18 billion; Pentagon requested additional $200 billion | Wikipedia / 2026 Iran war, citing Pentagon |
| Bahrain Patriot interceptor stocks depleted by late March | ~87% | Jewish Institute for National Security of America, cited by CNBC |
| Days of conflict at ceasefire | 39 days (Feb 28 – Apr 8, 2026) | Al Jazeera / Britannica, April 8, 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Israel strike Beirut's Corniche Al Mazraa neighbourhood?
Israel struck Corniche Al Mazraa and adjacent Beirut districts on April 8 without prior warning. The IDF says it targets Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives throughout Lebanon, including in Beirut's populated areas. Lebanon's NNA reported at least eight killed across the country that day. Israel has not provided a specific justification for the Mazraa strikes.
Does the US-Iran ceasefire include Lebanon?
This is actively contested. Netanyahu's office declared on April 8 that the ceasefire does not cover Lebanon and Israeli operations will continue. Iran says the deal covers all fronts including Lebanon. Hezbollah told a Lebanese political source it was observing a ceasefire 'since this morning' but its leader Naim Qassem said the group's formal position would depend on Israel's actions.
How many people have been killed and displaced in the 2026 Lebanon war?
Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health reported at least 1,497 killed and more than 4,639 wounded since the war began on March 2, 2026. UN data shows 1.2 million people — roughly 22 percent of Lebanon's population — have been displaced, ranking it among the top ten displacement crises globally in recent years, per Al Jazeera.
What is the US-Iran ceasefire agreement and what are its terms?
The US and Iran agreed on April 7–8, 2026 to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Under the deal, Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's 10-point proposal — including non-aggression guarantees, sanctions relief, and a US military drawdown — forms the basis for follow-on negotiations in Islamabad, per AP and NPR.
Why is Israel still striking Lebanon if there is a ceasefire?
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared the ceasefire covers only the direct Iran-Israel front, not Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel launched its largest coordinated strike of the war on April 8, hitting over 100 Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon. Pakistan's mediators dispute this, saying the truce covers all fronts, per PBS/AP.
How has the 2026 Iran war affected global oil markets and trade?
Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of global oil transits — caused severe energy price surges and shipping reroutes. The IMF warned every 10% energy price rise adds ~0.5% to global inflation. Oil prices dropped toward $90 a barrel after the ceasefire announcement, and US stocks rose 2.7%, per AP.
Sources
