Israel Bombs Lebanon as Trump Says Country Outside Iran Ceasefire

Israel Bombs Lebanon as Trump Says Country Outside Iran Ceasefire

Quick Reads

• The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday night, brokered by Pakistan, suspending strikes and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
• Hours after the truce was announced, Israel launched a sweeping assault across Lebanon, striking residential buildings, mosques, medical centres, and cemeteries.
• President Donald Trump stated Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire, calling the conflict with Hezbollah a “separate skirmish.”
• Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least 112 people killed and more than 800 wounded in Wednesday’s Israeli strikes alone.
• Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it would deliver a “regretful response” if Israeli attacks on Lebanon do not stop immediately.

Israel struck across Lebanon on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, killing dozens and injuring hundreds of civilians in one of the deadliest single-day assaults since the conflict began, and it came just hours after the United States and Iran announced a regional ceasefire. President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that Lebanon was deliberately left out of the deal. “Because of Hezbollah, they were not included in the deal,” Trump told PBS. “That’ll get taken care of, too. It’s all right.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later reinforced the position at a briefing, stating that “Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire that has been relayed to all parties.”

The truce, brokered by Pakistan and announced late Tuesday, paused the 40-day US-Israeli war against Iran. Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow safe passage for two weeks while talks proceed. According to Al Jazeera, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced the ceasefire “everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.” But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office pushed back almost immediately, stating the deal “does not include Lebanon.” Netanyahu’s assurances were followed by action: Israel struck over 100 sites across the country, hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, and residential neighbourhoods in central Beirut. One airstrike targeted a funeral in the Bekaa Valley town of Shmestar, killing at least 20 people, Al Jazeera reported.

Lebanon’s Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine described the scale of the day’s violence to Al Jazeera as a “dangerous escalation” with more than 100 airstrikes targeting civilians in Beirut, Dahiyeh, Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, and the south. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the international community to “bring an end to these aggressions,” accusing Israel of operating with “utter disregard for the principles of international law.” Channels Television reported that Lebanon’s military warned displaced residents against attempting to return south, saying they would be “exposing themselves to the ongoing Israeli attacks.” Israel’s attacks since the wider conflict began have killed more than 1,500 people and displaced over a million, according to Lebanese authorities.

Iran is watching closely. A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera Arabic that Tehran would “punish Israel in response to the crime it committed in Lebanon,” and stressed the ceasefire covers the entire region. The IRGC issued a direct warning Wednesday: if attacks on Lebanon are not immediately halted, it will fulfil its “duty” and give “a regretful response to the evil aggressors in the region.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi raised Israeli “ceasefire violations” in a call with Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile, the Fars News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that oil tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz had been halted in response to the Lebanon strikes, though Iranian officials had not confirmed the claim as of Wednesday afternoon. French President Emmanuel Macron, welcoming the broader ceasefire, said the international community’s “wish is to ensure that the ceasefire fully includes Lebanon.” US and Iranian delegations are expected in Islamabad on Saturday for the first round of formal talks.