Friday, April 10, 2026 - Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Thursday that Israel will persist in its military operations against Hezbollah wherever necessary, despite the announcement of a fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Netanyahu's comments followed a massive wave of Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, which the Lebanese health ministry reported killed at least 254 people and wounded over 1,100.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Israel’s objective is to
restore security for residents of the north by dismantling the force and
determination of the militant group.
The Israeli military recently launched what it described as
its most powerful attacks of the war, targeting over 100 sites across Lebanon
within a 10-minute window as part of an escalation referred to as Operation
Eternal Darkness.
During these operations, the IDF announced the killing of Ali
Yusuf Harshi, a personal aide to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. Additional
strikes targeted critical infrastructure, including crossing points on the
Litani River and approximately 10 weapons storage facilities, command centers,
and rocket launchers. In response to the heavy casualties, the Lebanese Prime
Minister’s office declared Thursday a national day of mourning, ordering the
closure of public administrations and the lowering of flags to honor the
civilians killed.
These ongoing strikes have cast a significant shadow over the
Islamabad Accords, a two-week truce mediated by Pakistan between the U.S. and
Iran. While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated the ceasefire is
intended to be effective everywhere, including Lebanon, the Israeli leadership
and U.S. President Donald Trump have maintained that Lebanon is excluded from
the agreement.
Hezbollah responded to the strikes on Thursday morning by
firing several rounds of rockets into northern Israel, triggering sirens in
local communities and characterizing the launches as a necessary response to
ceasefire violations.
As the two-week negotiation period begins, the conflict in
Lebanon remains the primary threat to the regional de-escalation effort.
Amnesty International and other rights groups have issued urgent calls to
protect civilians, noting that the death toll in Lebanon has surpassed 1,500
since intensified ground and air operations began in early March.
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