Israel Army Ups Hezbollah Death Toll from April 8 Strikes to Over 250

 12 April 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: People and civil defense workers search for human remains amid the debris of a collapsed building following an Israeli air strike at the Beirut seafront. (dpa)
12 April 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: People and civil defense workers search for human remains amid the debris of a collapsed building following an Israeli air strike at the Beirut seafront. (dpa)
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Israel Army Ups Hezbollah Death Toll from April 8 Strikes to Over 250

 12 April 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: People and civil defense workers search for human remains amid the debris of a collapsed building following an Israeli air strike at the Beirut seafront. (dpa)
12 April 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: People and civil defense workers search for human remains amid the debris of a collapsed building following an Israeli air strike at the Beirut seafront. (dpa)

Israel's military said Monday that a massive wave of strikes in Lebanon last week killed five Hezbollah commanders, as well as more than 250 of the Iran-backed group's fighters.

The Lebanese health ministry has said Wednesday's attacks killed more than 350 people in total and wounded more than 1,200.

Israel had previously put the number of Hezbollah members killed at around 180.

"During the largest strike conducted in Lebanon, more than 250 Hezbollah terrorists and commanders were eliminated" across the country, including in the country's south, the Bekaa region and Beirut, the military said in its statement Monday.

The military named five commanders killed, including Hassen Nasser, chief of Hezbollah's logistics support headquarters, and Abu Muhammad Habib, deputy commander of the group's missile unit.

The army said Monday that it continued to operate in Lebanon, with troops surrounding the southern town of Bint Jbeil.

Last week's punishing wave of strikes came on the same day as the start of a fragile two-week truce agreed between the US and Iran in the Middle East war, which has killed thousands across the region and plunged the global economy into turmoil.

Also on Monday, Israel's military said it had struck around 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the past 24 hours. 

"In the past 24 hours, approximately 150 Hezbollah terrorist organization targets were struck in numerous areas across southern Lebanon," the military said, adding that the targets included "military structures, anti-tank missile launch points, and terror command centers". 

Lebanon was pulled into the war when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2, days after the opening salvo of US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Israel responded with massive strikes and a ground invasion.

While Iran and mediator Pakistan had insisted Lebanon was included under the ceasefire, Israel and the US have disputed this.

Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to hold negotiations on Tuesday in Washington.



Lebanon's Aoun will Not Hold a Call with Israel's Netanyahu in the Near future, Three Lebanese Officials Say

(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
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Lebanon's Aoun will Not Hold a Call with Israel's Netanyahu in the Near future, Three Lebanese Officials Say

(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun will not hold a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, three Lebanese officials told Reuters on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump said leaders of both countries would speak.

Two of the Lebanese officials said that the Lebanese embassy in Washington had informed the US administration before a call between Aoun and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday that Aoun would not speak to Netanyahu.

Also, AFP said a Lebanese official source affirmed that Lebanon has not been informed of any planned contact with the Israeli side.


Lebanon President Thanks Rubio During Phone Call for US Efforts to Reach Ceasefire

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with German President Steinmeier (not pictured) at the presidential palace. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with German President Steinmeier (not pictured) at the presidential palace. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
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Lebanon President Thanks Rubio During Phone Call for US Efforts to Reach Ceasefire

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with German President Steinmeier (not pictured) at the presidential palace. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with German President Steinmeier (not pictured) at the presidential palace. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday thanked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for Washington's efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Aoun received a telephone call from Rubio and "thanked him for the efforts Washington has been making to reach a ceasefire", a statement from the Lebanese president's office said.

It did not mention any possible call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after US President Donald Trump said the Lebanese and Israeli "leaders" would speak on Thursday, with an Israeli minister saying Netanyahu and Aoun would talk.


Israeli Strike Severs Last Bridge Linking Southern Lebanon to Rest of Country

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon, April 16, 2026.  REUTERS/Stringer
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Israeli Strike Severs Last Bridge Linking Southern Lebanon to Rest of Country

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon, April 16, 2026.  REUTERS/Stringer
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

An Israeli strike has severed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, a senior Lebanese security official told Reuters on Thursday, adding that the strike “shattered” the bridge and left no possibility of repairing it.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that “enemy warplanes carried out two consecutive strikes targeting the Qasmieh bridge, the remaining crossing linking the Tyre area to the city of Sidon, completely destroying it.”

The agency also said that Lebanon’s main highway linking Beirut and Damascus was closed on Thursday after an air strike targeted a car, killing one person.

Since March 2, the Israeli army has successively destroyed four main bridges over the Litani River, which divides southern Lebanon into two parts.

Two days ago, the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel in Washington met at the US State Department to discuss announcing a ceasefire and setting a date to begin negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices.

Lebanon’s president had launched an initiative on March 9 based on a full truce, a halt to all Israeli attacks, support for the Lebanese army, the army’s control over areas of tension and confiscation of all weapons there, and the start of negotiations with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the talks would focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between the two neighboring countries.