Israel strikes Beirut as Lebanon excluded from Iran ceasefire
Confidence: HIGH (88/100) | April 08, 2026 | Lebanon
aljazeera.com
In one sentence: Israel struck Beirut on April 8 and declared Lebanon exempt from the US-Iran ceasefire, as more than 1,500 Lebanese have been killed since the war began March 2.
Why it matters: The central dispute over whether Lebanon is covered by the Iran-US ceasefire is now the war's sharpest fault line: Israel is pressing its ground invasion and carrying out what the IDF called its largest wave of strikes since fighting began, while Hezbollah is urging civilians not to return south pending a separate deal. If no Lebanon-specific ceasefire follows, a conflict that has already displaced one in five Lebanese — nearly 1.2 million people — risks deepening into prolonged occupation, with Israeli Defense Minister Katz publicly comparing the campaign to Gaza and announcing plans to permanently hold a southern security zone.
What Happened Today
- Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut on April 8, 2026, with smoke rising from a struck building in the capital, as the IDF carried out what it described as its largest wave of strikes on Hezbollah since the conflict began, according to the Times of Israel liveblog.
- A US-Iran two-week ceasefire was declared, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Lebanon was excluded from the agreement; Lebanon's army warned displaced civilians against returning south because they 'may be exposing themselves to the ongoing Israeli attacks,' AFP reported.
- Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, France's President Emmanuel Macron, and Egypt — all involved in mediating the Iran deal — asserted Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire, directly contradicting Netanyahu's position, according to Times of Israel and AFP.
- Hezbollah issued its first statement since the Iran ceasefire, calling on Lebanese civilians not to return to IDF-evacuated areas 'before the official final announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon,' framing the moment as a pending 'historic victory,' Times of Israel reported.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to destroy Lebanese border towns and maintain a permanent security zone up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon, comparing the campaign to Israel's operation in Gaza, according to CFR and Al Jazeera.
Contested Claims
- AFP, cited by Deccan Chronicle/Times of Israel: Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif said the US-Iran ceasefire applies 'everywhere including Lebanon.' Times of Israel liveblog, April 8, 2026: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Lebanon is explicitly excluded from the ceasefire.
- Israel Defense Forces: The IDF said it has killed approximately 1,000 Hezbollah fighters since March 2. Reuters, cited by Long War Journal: Internal Hezbollah sources told Reuters the group's own count of its fallen fighters stands at around 400.
- IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee: Israel says its strikes target Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure and that it 'does everything possible to limit civilian casualties.' Human Rights Watch, cited by Al Jazeera: Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing 'apparently deliberate or indiscriminate attacks' on civilians in Lebanon.
Unverified / Single Source
- (Unverified — single source | not independently corroborated — Israeli military gave no comment and Al Jazeera said it could not verify the claim) Hezbollah claimed to have fired a cruise missile at an Israeli warship 126 km off the Lebanese coast on April 5. [Hezbollah statement, cited by Al Jazeera]
- (Unverified — single source | anonymous source — Israel has not confirmed the intended target, and the IDF later said the killed Lebanese Forces official and his wife were not the intended targets) An April 5 Israeli strike on Ain Saadeh appeared to be a targeted assassination of a specific individual in an apartment, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground. [Al Jazeera correspondent Heidi Pett]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total killed in Lebanon since March 2, 2026 | At least 1,497 people, including 57 health workers and 126 children | Lebanon Ministry of Public Health, as of April 6, 2026 |
| Total wounded in Lebanon since March 2, 2026 | 4,639 | Lebanon Ministry of Public Health / Al Jazeera |
| Displaced persons in Lebanon | More than 1.2 million (approximately 1 in 5, or 20% of the country's population) | UN data / UNHCR, cited by Al Jazeera |
| Israeli airstrikes and attacks on Lebanon since March 2 | More than 1,840 | ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data), cited by Al Jazeera |
| Hezbollah projectiles fired at Israel since March 2 | Approximately 5,000 | Reuters, cited by Long War Journal |
| Israeli soldiers killed in the renewed Lebanon war | At least 8 | Long War Journal / FDD, April 3, 2026 |
| Israeli evacuation orders — Lebanese territory affected | More than 1,470 sq km (approx. 14% of Lebanon's territory) | Norwegian Refugee Council, cited by Al Jazeera |
| World Bank estimate of damage to residential buildings | $2.8 billion | World Bank, cited by Al Jazeera |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lebanon included in the US-Iran ceasefire? Israel says no. Prime Minister Netanyahu explicitly declared Lebanon excluded from the deal. France, Pakistan, and Egypt — all involved in mediation — insist Lebanon must be covered. Lebanon's army warned civilians against returning south as Israeli strikes continued on April 8, and Hezbollah told civilians to await a separate Lebanon ceasefire announcement.
How many people have been killed and displaced in Lebanon since the war started? Lebanon's Health Ministry reported at least 1,497 killed and 4,639 wounded since March 2, including 126 children and 57 health workers. More than 1.2 million people — roughly one in five Lebanese — have been displaced, according to UN data cited by Al Jazeera, making it one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in recent years.
What are Israel's stated goals in southern Lebanon? Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to permanently occupy a 'security zone' up to the Litani River and destroy border towns, comparing the campaign to Gaza. The IDF initially cited Hezbollah's full disarmament as its objective but on April 3 acknowledged that goal was unrealistic militarily, signaling a shift toward a prolonged war of attrition, per the Long War Journal.
Background
The current war began March 2, 2026, after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in response to a US-Israeli strike campaign against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28. Israel responded with widespread airstrikes and launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on March 16. The conflict is a major escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that have persisted, with varying intensity, since the Gaza war began in October 2023 and despite a November 2024 ceasefire that both sides repeatedly violated.
Sources
- aljazeera.com — aljazeera.com (unknown date)
- france24.com — france24.com (unknown date)
- longwarjournal.org — longwarjournal.org (unknown date)
- cfr.org — cfr.org (unknown date)
- foreignaffairs.com — foreignaffairs.com (unknown date)
- deccanchronicle.com — deccanchronicle.com (unknown date)
- en.wikipedia.org — en.wikipedia.org (unknown date)
- timesofisrael.com — timesofisrael.com (unknown date)