Israeli strikes shatter Beirut hours after Iran ceasefire, dozens killed, hundreds injured

Israeli airstrikes devastated central Beirut on Wednesday, hitting residential and commercial areas just hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Lebanon’s health ministry reported at least 89 dead and 700 wounded. President Donald Trump said Lebanon was excluded from the deal due to Hezbollah’s involvement.

Beirut: Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday afternoon, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israeli war with Iran. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 89 people were killed and 700 were wounded.

US President Donald Trump told PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the deal because of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. When asked about Israel’s latest strikes, he said, “That’s a separate skirmish.” Israel had said the agreement does not extend to its war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah, although mediator Pakistan said it does.

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The fleeting sense of relief among Lebanese after the ceasefire announcement turned into panic with what Israel’s military called its largest coordinated strike in the current war, hitting more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Black smoke towered over several parts of the seaside capital, where a huge number of people displaced by war have taken shelter. Explosions interrupted the honking of traffic on what had been a bustling, blue-sky afternoon. Ambulances raced toward open flames. Apartment buildings were struck.

Associated Press journalists saw charred bodies in vehicles and on the ground at one of Beirut’s busiest intersections in the central Corniche al Mazraa neighbourhood, a mixed commercial and residential area. Using forklifts, rescue workers removed smoldering debris and sifted through ruins for survivors.

There was no sign of Hezbollah launching strikes against Israel in the first couple of hours after the attacks.