BEIRUT, April 8: Central Beirut was struck by a massive Israeli military operation, on Wednesday, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
The unannounced strikes hit dense commercial and residential neighborhoods, killing at least 89 people and wounding around 700, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The attacks targeted more than 100 Hezbollah sites in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the eastern Bekaa Valley in what Israel called its largest coordinated strike of the conflict, citing threats from the Iran-backed militant group.
Black smoke billowed over the capital as explosions interrupted the afternoon, and ambulances raced to rescue the injured.
Local residents described scenes of charred bodies and destroyed vehicles, with rescue workers using forklifts to clear debris and search for survivors.
The strikes shattered the brief sense of relief created by the Iran-US ceasefire. Many displaced residents had begun preparing to return home, only to face renewed panic and uncertainty.
Families in tented displacement camps along Beirut’s waterfront, including Fadi Zaydan and his parents, described confusion and despair as they delayed their plans to return to southern cities.
Local officials, including Beirut municipal council member Mohammed Balouza, condemned the attacks, insisting most of the buildings targeted were civilian and not military infrastructure.
Lebanese government leaders strongly criticized Israel. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of escalating violence at a time when officials were seeking negotiations and violating international law.
President Joseph Aoun called the attacks “barbaric.” Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneed Sayed called the strikes a “dangerous turning point,” noting that many displaced people were living in the affected areas.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem of further retaliation.
Israel framed the strikes as defensive measures to protect northern Israeli residents, claiming Hezbollah fighters were using civilian areas as cover. Hezbollah, which had fired missiles into Israel after US-Israel attacks on Iran in late February, rejected the ceasefire, saying Israel had not adhered to its terms.
The conflict has killed over 1,530 people in Lebanon, including more than 100 women and 130 children, displacing over a million.
US President Donald Trump clarified that Lebanon was excluded from the Iran ceasefire due to Hezbollah, calling the Beirut strikes a separate “skirmish.”
While Israel claimed to target missile launchers and command centers, local residents insisted civilian areas were hit, underscoring the fragility of ceasefires and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. (AP)
