Lebanon thought there was a ceasefire - then Israel unleashed deadly blitz

Israel says Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire the US agreed to halt the war with Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that Israel supports the U.S. decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks but stated that the truce does not apply to Lebanon.

Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the United States-Israeli war on Iran.

Israel has backed a ceasefire between the US and Iran but made clear it does not extend to Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett reports that as Israeli strikes continue, residents remain wary after repeated violations of past ceasefires and ongoing displacement.

Israeli warplanes launched 100 strikes on different parts of Lebanon on Wednesday, April 8, violating the ceasefire deal that was desperately made by the United States with Iran hours earlier. At least 254 people were killed, and 1,165 others wounded in the large-scale offensive, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense.

On April 8, 2026, Israeli airstrikes devastated several residential areas in Beirut and southern and eastern Lebanon, resulting in at least 300 deaths and hundreds of injuries, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Health. The coordinated strikes, carried out in just 10 minutes, targeted approximately 100 alleged Hezbollah command posts, but primarily struck civilian neighborhoods, killing numerous women and children.