Within hours of President Trump’s ceasefire announcement in the imperialist war against Iran, the Israeli military struck central Beirut on Wednesday and multiple sites in southern Lebanon with 160 missiles. The strikes hit dense commercial and residential areas without warning, killing hundreds of people and wounding more than 1,000 others.
Lebanon’s Civil Defence said at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 others were wounded in the attacks on five neighborhoods in Beirut, the southern city of Tyre district, Adloun, the entrances to Chih and Marahin, and areas near Khiam, Bint Jbeil, Mayfadoun and al-Sarira.
Al Jazeera reported that Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Lebanon was facing a “dangerous escalation” after Israel launched “more than 100 air strikes” across the country within a 10-minute period. “Ambulances are still transporting victims to hospitals. We urge international organizations to assist the Lebanese health sector,” Nassereddine said.
Israel’s army said that it had carried out its largest coordinated strike across Lebanon since it started a new military operation in the country on March 2 which has now killed nearly 1,497 and injured more than 4,639 people, according to the health ministry.
The New York Times reported that Israel conducted the massive aerial assault with approximately 160 bombs dropped by 50 Israeli aircraft. The assault, dubbed “Operation Eternal Darkness” by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), also included artillery shelling.
Associated Press journalists reported seeing charred bodies in vehicles and on the ground at one of Beirut’s busiest intersections in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood. Reuters and other outlets reported that Israel destroyed bridges over the Litani River and accelerated demolitions of homes in border villages, indicating a deliberate campaign against civilian infrastructure.
Middle East Eye reported at least 10 killed in a strike on a funeral in eastern Lebanon’s Shmestar village and three girls killed in an attack on the coastal town of Adloun. The techniques being used by the IDF in southern Lebanon follow those of the Gaza genocide; mass murder of civilians justified with unsubstantiated claims that the strikes are aimed at “terrorists.”
Witnesses described the impact of the explosions with shattered glass everywhere and buildings collapsing without warning. One Beirut resident told the BBC, “I was thrown across the room by the force of the blast after hearing a loud noise.”
Al Jazeera reported damage to homes including cracked walls and broken windows near al-Sarira, while witnesses in southern Lebanon described Israeli fire near residences and roadways that civilians still used for movement and shelter.
Video images circulating on social media show the devastation caused by the blasts with civilians assisting emergency crews looking for victims and survivors in the rubble of the densely populated Beirut.
Hezbollah issued a statement describing the Israeli strikes as war crimes targeting innocent civilians. Hezbollah also cited its understanding that the cease fire agreement included Lebanon at the request of Iran. Later in the afternoon, the speaker of the Iranian parliament stated that the agreement had been violated.
A statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exposed the fraudulent nature of the ceasefire. He said Israel still has goals to complete in the war and it will achieve them “either by agreement or by the resumption of the fighting.” He also said, “We are prepared to return to combat at any necessary moment. Our finger is on the trigger.”
Netanyahu also said he wanted to emphasize that the ceasefire is not the end of the war, adding, “This is a way station on the way to achieving all of our goals.”
Then he said Israel was informed of the US decision to suspend strikes for two weeks prior to Trump’s announcement. Netanyahu claimed that Iran had agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, “after waving all of its preconditions,” including its demand for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
During a Wednesday press briefing in the White House, Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated the same assertion, saying, “Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire.” However, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who played a key role in brokering the deal announced on Tuesday, issued a statement earlier in the day that said, “Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.”
The reported Iranian position was not that the Strait of Hormuz would be fully and permanently open but that navigation would be subject to Iranian control, oversight and possible fees. The AP reported that Iranian officials said the strait would remain open under military supervision, while US live coverage said Iran had closed it in response to Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon before reports emerged that the decision was reversed.
The events in Lebanon mirror those of the Gaza ceasefire and the Trump negotiated “peace plan,” which serve as a cover for a continuation of the Israeli genocide against Palestinians and set up the framework for a permanent occupation of more than half of the enclave by Israeli forces. At least 723 Palestinians have been killed by Israel and nearly 2,000 injured since Trump’s Gaza ceasefire went into effect on October 10, 2025.
According to statements from Israeli officials, the strategic aims of the assault on Lebanon include a long-term occupation and annexation of 10 percent of the country. Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced plans for a “security zone” up to the Litani River and the expulsion of more than 600,000 residents from their homes. The project also includes the leveling of Lebanese border villages and destruction of bridges as central objectives.
The events in Lebanon on Wednesday are a prelude to the resumption of the US-led war against Iran. As Netanyahu stated bluntly, the two-week ceasefire is a “way station” toward achieving the goals of imperialism in the Middle East.