Israeli forces carried out mass attacks without warning across Lebanon on Wednesday, saying they launched 100 strikes in just 10 minutes in what marked the most intense wave of bombardment since the war resumed on 2 March.
By the evening, the death toll was at 254 people with hundreds more wounded, according to the health ministry and civil defence, with the toll expected to rise.
The Lebanese Red Cross had said the number of dead and injured was "very big."
Airstrikes slammed into residential buildings across Beirut and its southern suburbs, as well as large parts of the country's south and east, and the Mount Lebanon Aley district.
The attacks struck densely populated areas across central and west Beirut, targeting commercial streets and residential neighbourhoods without prior warning, sending residents fleeing in panic. The city is already sheltering tens of thousands displaced from southern Lebanon and other regions. Black smoke rose over large parts of the capital as explosions tore through busy districts. Ambulances raced towards burning buildings, while emergency teams searched through rubble and charred vehicles for survivors.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee described it as the largest wave of attacks since the start of the offensive more than five weeks ago, claiming that 100 targets were hit in just 10 minutes.
On Wednesday evening, another attack destroyed part of a 10-storey residential building in Beirut’s Tallet al-Khayyat neighbourhood, as search and rescue teams rushed to pull people from the rubble.
In the Aley district, strikes hit residential buildings in Keyfoun, Qmatiyeh, Souq al-Gharb, Bchamoun, Aramoun and Choueifat. Towns in the eastern Beqaa region were also hit, including a strike on a funeral in Shmistar. Southern coastal cities including Sidon, Tyre and surrounding areas were bombed following an earlier wave of strikes across south Lebanon Wednesday morning.
The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah commander in Beirut without identifying the target. It was not clear which attack they were referring to.
Hezbollah in a statement mourned the death of Lebanese political science professor Sadiq al-Nabulsi .
Hospitals across the country have been overwhelmed, with the health ministry issuing urgent appeals for blood donations.
"Hospitals are overflowing with victims," Health Minister Rakan Nasreddine said.
The assault came despite a newly announced two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which Israel said does not apply to Lebanon.
Earlier in the day, some displaced families had begun packing their belongings and preparing to return home to the south after news of the truce. But the renewed strikes coupled with Israeli statements that operations would continue left many confused and in fear.
"We can’t take this anymore… the uncertainty," one displaced resident said, after abandoning plans to return home due to fears of further attacks.
Israel has continued to frame its campaign as targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, while accusing the group of operating within civilian areas. However, the scale and location of Wednesday’s strikes have once again exposed densely populated neighbourhoods to heavy bombardment.
The violence has already killed more than 1,500 people in Lebanon and displaced over one million, with large parts of the country now facing an escalating humanitarian crisis.