Israel “Operation Eternal Darkness” launches massive airstrikes on Lebanon

Hours after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was announced on April 8th, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched “Operation Eternal Darkness”, which they described as their largest coordinated strike across Lebanon to date.

The IDF used 50 fighter jets to drop approximately 160 bombs on 100 targets within a single 10-minute window. Targets included Hezbollah command centers, intelligence headquarters, and naval unit infrastructure. While southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley were heavily hit, the most significant strikes occurred in central Beirut. Densely populated residential areas and commercial districts were struck without warning, including a building in the Tallet el Khayyat area.

According to UN OCHA, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has surged to over 822,000, with nearly 130,000 people crammed into 600 collective shelters (mostly public schools). Australia led the way in issuing a joint statement with the United Kingdom, Brazil, Indonesia, and other countries, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Lebanon,  specifically emphasizing the need to protect humanitarian workers and condemned the attacks on residential areas in Beirut.