By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israeli army launched one of the most intense waves of strikes on Lebanon since the war began, even as conflicting accounts emerged over whether Lebanon is included in the US-Iran ceasefire.

Key Developments

• Israeli army launches large-scale strikes across Lebanon, including Beirut, Bekaa, and the south.
• Lebanese casualties reported amid continued air raids despite ceasefire announcements.
• Dispute emerges over whether Lebanon is included in US-Iran ceasefire framework.
• Hezbollah halts fire while assessing situation; no launches reported since ceasefire.

Massive Israeli Strikes across Lebanon

The Israeli army said it carried out what it described as its most violent wave of attacks on Lebanon since the beginning of the war, targeting more than 100 sites within approximately 10 minutes.

According to the army, the strikes hit Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon, focusing on Hezbollah command centers, missile systems, drones, and elite units. It said the operation was based on precise intelligence and had been planned for weeks.

Israeli occupation forces also launched an air raid targeting a building in the Al-Shabriha–Al-Abbasiya area in the Tyre district, according to the official Lebanese news agency.

At the same time, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee issued urgent evacuation warnings to residents in parts of Tyre, calling on them to move north of the Zahrani River ahead of further strikes. He claimed the attacks were in response to Hezbollah’s activities.

Additional raids were reported by Al-Jazeera’s correspondent, targeting the town of Srifa and areas near Sharqiya, alongside intensified military movements along the border.

BREAKING: Israel just dropped bombs on an ambulance in the town of Al-Qalila in South Lebanon.

Yes, it was an ambulance. pic.twitter.com/2x2CVfd6Kz

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) April 8, 2026

Lebanese authorities reported multiple casualties as Israeli strikes continued.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said that eight people were killed and at least 22 others wounded in an airstrike that targeted a seafront area in the southern city of Sidon, with local footage showing extensive damage to a café.

Further strikes on Wednesday morning resulted in additional casualties, including two people killed in a car strike in Ras al-Ain and four killed when an ambulance was targeted in Qalila.

In Tyre, the Hiram Hospital building sustained significant damage following overnight air raids.

Israeli shelling and airstrikes also targeted multiple towns across southern Lebanon, including Sharqiya, Srifa, Wadi Barghaz, Khirbet Selm, Safad al-Batikh, al-Mansouri, Kafra, and Majdal Selm, as well as areas in the western Bekaa such as Sahmar and Yahmar.

The Lebanese army called on displaced civilians to delay returning to southern areas due to ongoing Israeli operations.

In a statement, the army urged citizens “to delay returning to the southern villages and towns and not to approach the areas into which the Israeli occupation forces have advanced,” warning that continued attacks pose a direct threat to civilian safety.

It also warned of unexploded ordnance and urged residents to follow military instructions and report suspicious objects.

Is Lebanon Included?

A major point of contention remains whether Lebanon is covered by the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon, despite Israel supporting the broader pause in attacks on Iran.

In contrast, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is mediating the talks, announced that the agreement includes an immediate ceasefire “everywhere, including Lebanon.”

#عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان المتواجدين جنوب نهر الزهراني

🔴المعركة في لبنان مستمرة وحالة وقف النار لا تشمل لبنان🔴

🔸جيش الدفاع يواصل العمل ضد انشطة حزب الله الارهابية بقوة في تلك المنطقة وهو لا ينوي المساس بكم.

🔴ولذلك وحرصًا على سلامتكم نعود ونناشدكم اخلاء… pic.twitter.com/LbNvAZivNn

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 8, 2026

An official cited by the Associated Press also indicated that Lebanon is covered by the ceasefire framework, while Iranian positions have consistently insisted that any agreement must include all fronts, including Lebanon.

Hezbollah Response and Pause in Operations

Hezbollah has so far refrained from launching attacks following the ceasefire announcement.

Reuters news agency, citing three Lebanese sources close to the group, reported that Hezbollah halted its operations against northern Israel and Israeli forces in Lebanon early Wednesday as part of the ceasefire arrangement.

The Financial Times also reported that Hezbollah is holding fire while assessing Israel’s position, noting that the group has not launched any attacks since the ceasefire was announced.

🚨🎥 Hezbollah releases scenes from the targeting of the Kiryat Shmona settlement in northern occupied Palestine, using what it describes as a qualitative missile amid ongoing escalation. pic.twitter.com/2zcf1w76UR

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 8, 2026

At the same time, Hezbollah warned residents not to return to affected areas, stating that Israel “may resort to treacherous attempts to create a false scene that suggests it has achieved an accomplishment that it could not achieve on the battlefield.”

The group added that its next steps would depend on Israel’s actions, particularly in light of conflicting signals about whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire.

(PC, Al Mayadeen, Israeli media)