Israel Continues Lebanon Operations Despite US-Iran Ceasefire

Apr 8, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the US-Iran ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon, as Israeli forces continued air strikes on Tyre, Nabatieh, Sidon, and Beirut on Wednesday morning despite the broader regional truce. The conflict has killed more than 1,500 people including 130 children and displaced 1.2 million Lebanese—one in five of the population—mostly Shia Muslims from the south and Beirut suburbs. Israel is creating a security buffer zone to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, though Israeli military sources acknowledge they cannot fully disarm the group by force. Hezbollah, which has not claimed attacks since the US-Iran ceasefire, declared the situation a threshold of major victory while the Lebanese government announced plans to disarm the group and made a historic offer for direct negotiations with Israel, which Israel has ignored.

Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue despite ceasefire

▪The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that the US-Iran ceasefire deal covered the conflict in Lebanon.
▪The Israeli military carried out a wave of air strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday morning after the US-Iran ceasefire was announced.
▪The Israeli military said air and ground operations in Lebanon continued after the US-Iran ceasefire was announced.

Humanitarian crisis and displacement in Lebanon

▪More than 1,500 people have been killed in Lebanon during the current conflict, including 130 children.
▪More than 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon, representing one in five of the population.
▪Most displaced people in Lebanon are from Shia Muslim communities in the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Hezbollah's role and Lebanon's political response

▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ruled out using force against Hezbollah, warning that this could exacerbate divisions and lead to violence.
▪Hezbollah was created in the 1980s in response to Israel's occupation of Lebanon during the 15-year Lebanese civil war.
▪Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening stages of the US-Israel war against Iran.
▪Hezbollah has frequently launched rockets and drones into northern Israel during the current conflict.
▪The Lebanese government announced a plan to disarm Hezbollah after the 2024 ceasefire deal.
▪The Lebanese government made a historic announcement that it was open to negotiate directly with Israel.