The Israeli military executed a coordinated series of air strikes targeting 100 sites across Lebanon within a 10-minute window on Tuesday afternoon, marking what officials described as the largest concentrated blow to Hezbollah since the electronic pager detonations.
The operation, designated “Eternal Darkness,” commenced around 2:30 p.m. And struck at least 48 different areas. The strikes spanned a wide geographic range, including central Beirut, the southern suburbs, Mount Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, and regions in both northern and southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the strikes targeted 100 Hezbollah command centers and military installations, noting that these sites were located within civilian populated areas. This escalation follows evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli military on April 8 for the city of Tyre, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and areas north of the Zahrani River.
Humanitarian Impact and Medical Crisis
The intensity of the barrage led to an immediate crisis in Lebanon’s healthcare system. Hospitals reported being overwhelmed by the volume of casualties, issuing urgent public appeals for blood donations to treat the hundreds of wounded.
In the Salim Salam neighborhood of Beirut, the strikes hit residential buildings, leaving streets littered with debris and casualties. Fatima, a resident who witnessed the attack on a building opposite her home, described the scene as apocalyptic, reporting numerous wounded adults and children in the immediate aftermath.
Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that this day has been the deadliest since the current round of fighting began on March 2. According to Amnesty, more than 1,500 people had been killed and over one million individuals displaced across Lebanon prior to Tuesday’s escalation.
Legal Challenges and International Law
Amnesty International has called for an immediate halt to the transfer of weapons to Israel, citing an overriding risk that such arms are being used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. Morayef emphasized that the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated residential zones constitutes a failure to minimize harm to civilian infrastructure.
The organization highlighted a specific concern following warnings from the Israeli military spokesperson that Hezbollah has repositioned its forces from the southern suburbs of Beirut to the northern parts of the city and other mixed residential areas. Morayef warned that this shift increases the likelihood of further strikes in civilian centers, reiterating that Israeli forces are legally bound to distinguish between military objectives and civilian objects.
Amnesty’s reporting notes a pattern of unlawful attacks in Lebanon, including the documented use of white phosphorus and indiscriminate explosions targeting electronic devices. The organization also recorded the extensive destruction of agricultural land and civilian structures in southern Lebanon between October 1, 2024, and January 26, 2025, which continued after a November 2024 ceasefire.
Regional Strategic Context
The strikes occurred shortly after international observers had cautiously welcomed news of a ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Yet, the scale of “Operation Eternal Darkness” suggests a significant shift in the intensity of the conflict in Lebanon.
While Israel focuses on the destruction of Hezbollah’s command infrastructure, Amnesty International has also documented Hezbollah’s own violations, specifically the firing of unguided rockets into populated civilian areas within Israel, resulting in civilian deaths and the destruction of homes.
The Israeli military maintains that its operations are necessary to neutralize Hezbollah’s capabilities, while international human rights monitors continue to demand adherence to the principle of proportionality and the protection of journalists, health workers, and children.
The situation remains volatile as the Israeli military continues to monitor Hezbollah’s movements within the capital, with the potential for further strikes in North Beirut.
