Israel has announced Operation 'Eternal Darkness' and resumed strikes on Lebanon
The IDF has reported that, as part of Operation ‘Eternal Darkness’, more than 200 Israeli Air Force fighter jets are striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated that the attacks would continue without interruption and that Israel would not compromise on the security of residents in the north, the BBC reports.
Israel continues to carry out air strikes on southern Lebanon, despite the announced pause in US strikes on Iran and Pakistan’s calls for a cessation of hostilities in the region. In particular, strikes were carried out on the outskirts of the cities of Tyre and Nabatieh.
The attacks took place a few hours after the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Israel is shelling Hezbollah positions and warning the population of southern Lebanon of the need to evacuate.
Against this backdrop, it remains unclear whether the ceasefire agreement extends to Israel’s actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend strikes on Iran for two weeks. At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that this ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon and that the IDF will continue operations against Hezbollah.
This contradicts the position of Pakistan, which acted as a mediator in the agreements with Iran. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif stated that the two-week ceasefire applies everywhere, including Lebanon.
According to available information, Hezbollah has ceased shelling northern Israel since the start of the ceasefire. The group has not reported any new operations since 01:00 on 8 April.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Israel against Iran, the Lebanese authorities declared their intention to continue efforts to bring the country into the regional peace process. At the same time, it soon became clear that Israel had no plans to halt its strikes against Hezbollah.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military urged residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate. This is the third such warning since the ceasefire was announced.
