Israel strikes 100+ Hezbollah sites in Beirut as US-Iran truce excludes Lebanon

Israel strikes 100+ Hezbollah sites in Beirut as US-Iran truce excludes Lebanon

Confidence: HIGH (88/100)  |  April 08, 2026  | 

pbs.org

In one sentence: Israel struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon in its largest coordinated attack of the war, killing dozens, hours after a US-Iran ceasefire took effect that Netanyahu said excluded Lebanon.

Why it matters: The strikes expose a critical fault line in the US-Iran ceasefire: Israel is asserting the right to fight a separate war in Lebanon even as Washington and Tehran stand down, creating a diplomatic split with Pakistan, France, and Lebanon's own government. With Hezbollah pausing attacks in deference to the truce, Israel's continued bombardment risks reigniting full Hezbollah retaliation and collapsing the broader ceasefire architecture. Over 1.2 million Lebanese are already displaced; a renewed Hezbollah offensive would deepen a humanitarian catastrophe and draw Iran back into the conflict.

What Happened Today

• Israel's military struck more than 100 Hezbollah command centres and military sites across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within a 10-minute window on April 8, calling it the largest coordinated strike of the war, according to the Israeli military and Reuters witnesses on the ground.
• The strikes killed dozens and wounded hundreds, Lebanon's health ministry said; a more specific toll from the ministry's spokesman cited 89 dead — including a dozen medics — and 700 wounded across the country, according to Reuters.
• PM Benjamin Netanyahu declared overnight that the two-week US-Iran ceasefire 'does not apply to Lebanon,' and Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee repeated the position on X; Defence Minister Israel Katz said it was the biggest concentrated blow to Hezbollah since the September 2024 pager operation.
• Hezbollah halted attacks on Israeli targets early Wednesday, with three Lebanese sources close to the group telling Reuters it was observing the ceasefire; senior Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi told Reuters: 'Hezbollah was informed that it is part of the ceasefire — so we abided by it, but Israel as usual has violated it.'
• Lebanon's National News Agency reported strikes hit at least five neighbourhoods in central and coastal Beirut — areas Israel had rarely struck before — without prior warning, while Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam accused Israel of escalating while Lebanese officials were actively seeking negotiations.

Contested Claims

• Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif (ceasefire mediator), Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi via Reuters: The US-Iran ceasefire includes Lebanon; Hezbollah was formally informed it was covered by the truce and halted its attacks accordingly. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu statement; IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee statement: The ceasefire suspending the US-Israeli war against Iran does not apply to Lebanon; Israeli operations against Hezbollah will continue.
• Beirut municipal council member Mohammed Balouza via PBS/AP; Lebanon's NNA: Wednesday's strikes hit civilian-populated areas including residential buildings in central Beirut, with local officials and residents denying any military presence at struck sites. Israeli military statement: Targets were Hezbollah missile launchers, command centres, and intelligence infrastructure; Hezbollah uses civilians as human shields.

Unverified / Single Source

• (Unverified — single source — IDF only; not independently corroborated by Lebanese health officials or wire agencies) Hezbollah's intelligence chief Hussain Makled was killed in earlier strikes on Beirut. [IDF statement]
• (Unverified — anonymous source — not independently corroborated) Hezbollah is likely to issue a formal statement on the ceasefire and Netanyahu's exclusion of Lebanon. [Three unnamed Lebanese sources close to Hezbollah, via Reuters]

Key Figures

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Israel still bombing Lebanon if there is a US-Iran ceasefire? PM Netanyahu declared the two-week US-Iran ceasefire does not cover Lebanon. Israel says its fight against Hezbollah is a separate campaign to create a security zone up to the Litani River. Pakistan, the ceasefire mediator, and France publicly disputed this, saying the truce was meant to include Lebanon.

How many people have been killed in Lebanon since the war began in March 2026? More than 1,530 people have been killed in Israel's air and ground campaign in Lebanon since March 2, 2026, including over 130 children and 100 women, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Over 1.2 million people — roughly 22% of Lebanon's population — have been displaced.

Will Hezbollah resume attacks on Israel after the April 8 strikes? Hezbollah paused attacks Wednesday in line with the US-Iran ceasefire, per three Lebanese sources close to the group. Senior Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi told Reuters Israel 'violated' the truce. The group was expected to issue a formal position statement; a prior Hezbollah official said it will not accept a return to pre-war Israeli strike patterns.

Background

The current Israel-Lebanon war began on March 2, 2026, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in solidarity with Iran after the US-Israeli military campaign against Tehran began. Israel responded with a sustained air campaign and launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on March 16, pledging to establish a security zone up to the Litani River. This followed a prior ceasefire from November 2024 that had collapsed amid near-daily Israeli strikes and Hezbollah's decision to re-enter the conflict as Iran's proxy.

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