Israeli Strikes in Lebanon Kill Over 250 Hours After US-Iran Ceasefire as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
BEIRUT — April 9, 2026 — Israel launched its heaviest airstrikes on Lebanon since the war with Hezbollah began last month on Wednesday, April 8, killing more than 250 people and wounding over 1,100 just hours after a fragile ceasefire was announced between the United States and Iran, Lebanese officials said .
The strikes — which the Israeli military described as the largest coordinated assault of the war — targeted over 100 Hezbollah command centers and military sites across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within a ten-minute window . Residents reported that some areas were hit without the usual civilian warnings.
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Lebanon’s civil defense service reported 254 fatalities nationwide, with 91 killed in the capital, Beirut . The Lebanese health ministry recorded 182 deaths, noting that the figures were preliminary and the toll could rise .
Hezbollah Resumes Rocket Attacks on Israel
Hezbollah responded early Thursday, April 9, firing rockets at northern Israel, calling it retaliation for what it described as Israeli violations of the ceasefire .
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“This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases,” the group said in a statement .
The Iran-aligned group had unilaterally paused attacks early Wednesday after being informed that Lebanon was included in the US-Iran truce . However, after hours of relentless bombing, Hezbollah resumed its operations, calling Israel’s actions a “barbaric aggression” .
‘Lebanon Not Covered by Ceasefire,’ US and Israel Say
The attacks revealed a fundamental disagreement over the scope of the two-week truce announced by Washington and Tehran late Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire, with the military continuing operations against Hezbollah . US officials echoed that Lebanon remained outside the truce .
“The United States never once said that Lebanon was part of the ceasefire,” Vice President JD Vance told reporters in Budapest, suggesting the Iranians had a “legitimate misunderstanding” .
However, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — a key intermediary in the US-Iran talks — had stated that the truce would apply to “everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere” .
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that an end to the war in Lebanon was an essential condition of Tehran’s agreement with Washington . Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed that a ceasefire in Lebanon was a “non-negotiable” part of the deal .
Hospitals Overwhelmed as Humanitarian Toll Mounts
The strikes caused widespread devastation across civilian areas. Associated Press journalists at the scene saw charred bodies in vehicles and on the ground at one of Beirut’s busiest intersections in the central Corniche al Mazraa neighborhood . Rescue workers used forklifts to remove smoldering debris and sifted through ruins for survivors.
Hospitals struggled to manage the influx of wounded. One of Beirut’s biggest medical facilities appealed for donations of all blood types . Civil defense teams in Beirut were seen evacuating residents from partially destroyed buildings using cranes .
Essential infrastructure, including hospitals, bridges, and power stations, has been hit, leaving many residents without food, medicine, or shelter . Thousands of civilians in southern Lebanon have been displaced, with Israel issuing evacuation orders covering roughly 15 percent of Lebanese territory .
Lebanon’s Minister of Social Affairs, Haneed Sayed, condemned the wide range of strikes, calling it a “very dangerous turning point.”
“These hits are now at the heart of Beirut… Half of the sheltered internally displaced people are in Beirut in this area,” she told The Associated Press .
International Condemnation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “massive strikes by Israel across Lebanon on Wednesday that resulted in hundreds of civilians being killed and injured, including children” .
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian lives and is deeply alarmed by the mounting toll on civilians,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, renewing calls for “all parties to immediately cease hostilities” .
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the scale of death and destruction “horrific,” warning that such carnage occurring “within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief” .
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of a “regret-inducing response” if attacks on Lebanon did not stop .
Civilian Despair Amid Conflicting Statements
The fleeting sense of relief among Lebanese after the Iran ceasefire announcement turned into panic with the wave of Israeli strikes. Families at a sprawling displacement camp on Beirut’s waterfront expressed confusion and despair.
“We can’t take this anymore, sleeping in a tent, not showering, the uncertainty,” said Fadi Zaydan, 35, who had prepared to return to the southern city of Nabatieh before Netanyahu’s comments stopped him .
Ahmed Harm, a 54-year-old displaced from Beirut’s southern suburbs, told Reuters: “Hopefully a ceasefire will be reached. Lebanon can’t take it anymore” .
What Comes Next
As of Thursday, April 9, Hezbollah has resumed rocket attacks on northern Israel, while Israeli forces continue their air campaign. Iran has reportedly warned it will once again halt the movement of oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks on Lebanon .
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said French President Emmanuel Macron is ready to mediate to include Lebanon in any ceasefire . However, with the US and Israel maintaining that Lebanon remains outside the truce, and Iran insisting it was part of the deal, the prospects for a negotiated end to the Lebanon conflict remain uncertain.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. Since the war began on March 2, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 1,530 people in Lebanon, including more than 100 women and 130 children, according to Lebanese health authorities . More than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon .
SOURCES / INPUTS
- CGTN: IRGC warns Israel as strikes on Lebanon continue despite US-Iran truce
- Al-Quds: Hezbollah unilaterally ceases fire, Lebanese presidency holds negotiating reins
- Bangladesh Pratidin: Israeli strikes pummel Lebanon, killing 250
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