'Eternal Darkness' Israeli operation on Lebanon

On April 8, 2026, the Israeli military announced the launch of Operation “Eternal Darkness”, describing it as its largest wave of strikes across Lebanon since the start of what it calls Operation “Roaring Lion”. According to the IDF, dozens of fighter jets struck more than 100 targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within approximately 10 minutes. The military said the strikes targeted Hezbollah positions, stating that the group is “embedded in the heart of civilian areas.”

Israeli airstrikes struck at least five heavily populated neighborhoods of Beirut without warning during one of the busiest times of the day, causing scenes of chaos and fear across the city. Families carrying bags and traumatized children gathered on the streets, unsure where to go, while people frantically called loved ones to check if they were safe.

In Corniche Al Mazraa, one of the strikes destroyed a residential building and a nearby commercial warehouse, badly damaging surrounding buildings. Witnesses described panicked families jumping from balconies immediately after the blast to escape collapsing structures and spreading fire. Thick smoke and dust remained in the air for hours.

Rescue workers were deployed to multiple strike sites and worked through the night searching for survivors and recovering bodies from the rubble. At one site in Beirut, a rescue worker said they were still pulling people out, highlighting the ongoing emergency. In the upscale residential neighborhood of Caracas, rescuers had already recovered five bodies, while other victims remained trapped.

Residents expressed shock that quiet civilian neighborhoods had become targets. Many said they no longer felt safe anywhere in Lebanon, believing that anyone and any place could now be hit. Several people said they had never seen anything unusual in the affected buildings, and shop owners insisted the warehouse stored ordinary supplies such as diesel and electrical equipment.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes as “barbaric.” Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed Hezbollah operatives had moved from Beirut’s southern suburbs into other parts of the capital, though it provided no evidence, raising fears that this accusation could inflame sectarian tensions and justify future strikes in new areas.

The attacks came only hours after a US-Iran ceasefire had raised hopes of regional de-escalation. However, Israel said the ceasefire did not apply to Lebanon, shattering hopes that the country would be spared. Hezbollah initially stated it would respect the ceasefire despite Israel’s position, but after the strikes it declared that the blood of the victims “would not be wasted” and said it had a legitimate right to respond.

As evening turned into night, the full scale of the humanitarian crisis became clearer. Lebanese media and emergency officials reported heavy casualties, with hospitals overwhelmed and operating at full capacity. The head of the Red Cross in Lebanon told Al-Araby that at least 300 people had been killed or injured in the Beirut strikes, which caused widespread destruction to homes, vehicles, and public spaces. Medical institutions across the capital issued urgent appeals for support: off-duty doctors were called back to work, roads were cleared for emergency vehicles, and major hospitals requested blood donations of all types. In a written statement, Elias Chlela, head of Lebanon’s syndicate of doctors, urged “all physicians from all specialities” to report to any hospital where they could assist.

As names and ages of the victims began circulating on social media, it became increasingly clear that women and children made up a significant share of the casualties.

Separate Israeli strikes also killed Ghada Dayekh, a presenter with Sawt Al-Farah in Tyre, and Suzan Khalil, a reporter and presenter with Al-Manar TV and Al-Nour Radio.

The timing of the strikes, coming shortly after the announcement of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement overnight, has prompted intense reactions and speculation among observers about their broader regional implications. While Hezbollah had reportedly paused its attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with PBS that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire arrangement because of Hezbollah.

Israeli statements:

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that the northern campaign was far from over, adding: “This is not a closing blow. We will continue until we are stopped.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz referred to the surprise blow and called it "the biggest concentrated blow that Hezbollah has suffered since Operation Beeper". Katz also said that "Naim Kasem did not understand what Nasrallah understood in his last moments". We warned that Hezbollah would pay a heavy price for its mission for Iran - and today we fulfilled another step in the promise. The personal turn of the arch-terrorist Naim Kasem will also come".

The IDF emphasizes that despite the ceasefire, intelligence gathering and surveillance of Iran will continue unabated. "The working assumption is that we will have to return to the war in Iran in a short time", added the senior officer, "this is necessary for removing the threat to Israel. We will present the achievements to the public, and he will judge".

Summary of Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory on 8/4/2026:

Airstrikes:

South:

Bint Jbeil Kfarsir Kfour Dbeine Nabatieh al-Fawqa Jmeijmeh Rihan Srifa Nabatieh Harouf Jbaa Ain Qana Zebdine Sharqiyah Mansouri Shabriha Dweir Kfarjouz Kfar Remman Jebchit Haboush Qasiba Louaizeh Sir al-Gharbiyah Sidon Sarafand Deir Zahrani Tyre Kherbet Selm Arab Salim Ansar Sharqiyah Zefta Sidon Houmine al-Tahta Jouaya Bisariyeh Deir Qanoun al-Nahr Sawaneh Qalila Haniyeh Sahl Qalila Kounine Between Haris and Hadatha Al-Bazouriyeh Arkay Al-Sultaniyeh Ansariyeh Adloun Batoulieh Arnoun Safad al-Batikh Deir Antar Briqaa Between Ansar and Abba Kafra Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh Yahmar Qaqaiyat al-Jisr Toul Maaroub Siddiqin Qlawieh Shaqra Al-Abbasiya Between Barashit and Beit Yahoun Jisr al-Qasmiyeh Al-Ghandouriyeh

Baalbek and the Bekaa:

Douris Shamshtar Al-Hermel Al-Karak Sahl Tariya Sahmar Mashghara Al-Qatrani Yahmar Al-Ahmadiyeh

Southern Suburbs and Beirut:

Al-Awza'i Bir Hassan - Al-Rahab Tallat al-Khayyat Hay al-Salloum Al-Shiyah - Maroun Misk Burj al-Barajneh - Al-Raml al-Aali Al-Manara Ain al-Mreisseh Corniche Al Mazraa Musaitbeh Al Basta Ain El Tineh

Mount Lebanon:

Shuwayfat (Al Umaraa District) Kayfoun Qmatiyeh Ain El Saydeh Aitat Souq El Gharb Aramoun (Al Bayader) Bshamoun (Al Madaris)

Drone strikes:

Sidon, Al Qalila, Qana, Al Sma'iya, Siddiqin, Kfardounin, Al Qasmiya, Blat, Al Shahabiya, Zamriya-Marj Al Zuhour, Kfar Melki, Burj Qalawiya, Al Kharayeb, Deir Al Zahrani

Artillery shelling:

Kfar, Aita El Jabal, Haris, Tibnin, Zawtar Al Gharbiya, Zawtar Al Sharqiya, Majdal Selm, Al Khiam, Wadi Al Hujair, Barashit, Toulin, Beit Yahoun, Qabrikha, Al Jmaijmeh, Sahl Al Khiam Shaqra, Dabbin, Al-Mansouri