Israeli Strikes Hit Beirut Areas Targeting Hezbollah Amid Dispute on Iran Ceasefire Coverage

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*Published: 2026-04-09T09:56:29-04:00*

BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli military strikes targeted sites in central Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the eastern Bekaa Valley on Wednesday, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Lebanon's health ministry reported at least 182 people killed and 890 wounded in the strikes, which occurred across multiple locations including central Beirut. Other reports varied, with some sources citing 357 killed and 1,223 injured nationwide from the day's actions, while Israel's military stated it killed 250 Hezbollah militants.

Israel's military described the operation as its largest coordinated strike in the current phase of the conflict, targeting more than 100 Hezbollah sites including missile launchers, command centers, and intelligence infrastructure within 10 minutes. The military stated the strikes aimed to protect northern Israeli residents from Hezbollah rocket fire and accused Hezbollah fighters of operating from non-Shiite areas outside their traditional strongholds.

The ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, and Iran did not explicitly address the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, according to Israel and U.S. officials. President Donald Trump stated in an interview with PBS NewsHour that the agreement excluded Lebanon due to Hezbollah's involvement, describing the Lebanon situation as "a separate skirmish." Iran and mediator Pakistan maintained that the truce applied more broadly, including to Hezbollah.

The strikes followed Hezbollah's missile launches into Israel days after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, which escalated an ongoing regional conflict that traces back to exchanges starting in 2023 and intensifying after the previous Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November 2024. Israel responded to Hezbollah's actions with airstrikes and a ground operation in Lebanon.

Smoke rose over parts of Beirut, where many people displaced by the conflict had sought shelter. Explosions occurred during midday in commercial and residential zones. Ambulances responded to the sites, and rescue teams used equipment to clear debris from damaged apartment buildings.

Associated Press journalists observed damage at a busy intersection in Beirut's central Corniche al Mazraa neighborhood, a mixed commercial and residential area, where vehicles and ground areas showed impact marks. Rescue workers sifted through rubble for survivors.

There were no reports of Hezbollah launching strikes into Israel in the initial hours following the attacks.

In response, Iran's state media reported that the country halted oil tanker movements in the Strait of Hormuz later Wednesday.

Central Beirut had been targeted in prior strikes during the current escalation, though less frequently than southern Lebanon, eastern areas, and Beirut's southern suburbs. Wednesday's operation involved a higher number of strikes concentrated in central areas during daytime hours.

Lebanon's Minister of Social Affairs, Haneen Sayed, told the Associated Press that the strikes affected areas sheltering many internally displaced people, describing it as a significant development. She noted that half of those sheltered in Beirut were in the impacted zones and stated that Lebanon's government was prepared to negotiate with Israel to end hostilities, an offer previously extended by the Lebanese president. Israel had not publicly responded at the time.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a statement accusing Israel of escalating amid negotiation efforts and striking civilian areas, citing violations of international law and humanitarian principles. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun referred to the strikes as severe.

Lebanon's health ministry reported 182 killed and 890 wounded from Wednesday's strikes. Broader war totals since late February stood at 1,739 killed and 5,873 wounded in Lebanon, according to the ministry, though independent verification was limited amid wartime conditions.

Residents and local officials at strike sites, such as in Corniche al Mazraa where an apartment building near a commercial shop was hit, stated the areas contained no military facilities.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning to Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem, stating his time was approaching. Katz described the strikes as the largest since a September 2024 incident involving exploding pagers used by Hezbollah members, following the 2024 killing of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike.

Prior to the strikes, a Hezbollah official speaking anonymously to the AP said the group was allowing mediators time to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon but had not committed to it given Israel's actions. The official rejected returning to the pre-escalation status quo, when Israel conducted near-daily strikes in Lebanon despite a nominal ceasefire since November 2024.

Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said the operations were necessary to safeguard northern Israeli communities under Hezbollah fire. The military reported killing hundreds of Hezbollah fighters overall. More than 1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon, according to United Nations estimates.

Early Wednesday, before the strikes and following the Iran ceasefire announcement, some displaced people in Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon began preparing to return home from street tents and camps. At a displacement site on Beirut's waterfront, residents later expressed uncertainty.

"We can't continue like this, with tent living and no clear end," said Fadi Zaydan, 35, who had planned to return to Nabatieh in southern Lebanon with his parents but opted to relocate temporarily to Sidon instead.

The conflict's casualty figures from Lebanese sources have faced scrutiny in past reports due to challenges in wartime verification, while Israeli claims focus on militant targets. Hezbollah's actions, including cross-border fire since late 2023, prompted Israel's operations, with both sides reporting civilian impacts.

Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre and AP journalists Hussein Mallah and Fadi Tawil in Beirut, Michelle Price in Washington and Melanie Lidman in Eilat, Israel, contributed to this report.

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