Israel Escalates Beirut Strikes as Trump Says Lebanon ‘Not Included’ in Ceasefire
Israel has intensified its strikes on Lebanon, hitting over 60 commercial and residential areas across Beirut without warning, according to UNHCR Lebanon.
The Israeli strikes took place Wednesday afternoon, hours after the US and Iran announced an immediate two-week ceasefire agreement, despite the Iranian-backed Hezbollah halting its attacks on Israel.
Israel’s military announced it had carried out the largest coordinated strike of the war, targeting more than 100 Hezbollah command centers and military sites in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, the Wednesday strikes killed at least 89 people and injured 700.
One of the largest waves of Israeli strikes so far has just hit over 60 locations across Beirut and beyond.
Deaths are mounting. Destruction is massive. Civilians are paying the price. Again.
They are not a target. They must be protected. pic.twitter.com/Y896LrINke
— UNHCR Lebanon (@UNHCRLebanon) April 8, 2026
The US and Iran announced late Tuesday a temporary truce that suspends attacks for two weeks in exchange for the complete, immediate, and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator in the US-Iran ceasefire talks, said that the truce would include Lebanon.
“I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,” Sharif said a statement.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the ceasefire agreement did not apply to Lebanon and the Israeli military said it would continue operations against Hezbollah, reported Reuters.
“The battle in Lebanon continues, and the ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” Israel’s military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement.
Echoing Israel’s rhetoric, Trump said later on Wednesday that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire agreement “because of Hezbollah.”
“They were not included in the deal. That’ll get taken care of, too. It’s all right,” Trump said in a phone interview with PBS News Hour.
“That’s a separate skirmish,” he said when asked about Israel continuing its strikes in Lebanon.
