Saturday, September 5, 2026

Beirut quiet as residents mourn after Israeli strikes

A tense calm settled over Beirut on Thursday as residents mourned following a wave of Israeli airstrikes that killed scores and left hundreds injured.

• April 9, 2026
Beirut residents mourning
Beirut residents mourning

A tense calm settled over Beirut on Thursday as residents mourned following a wave of Israeli airstrikes that killed scores and left hundreds injured.

Two Israeli strikes hit the city’s southern suburbs at dawn, just hours after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched attacks on northern Israel.

The group said it had shelled the Israeli town of Manara overnight, describing the action as a response to what it called Israel’s violation of a ceasefire.

The escalation follows a large-scale Israeli aerial campaign on Wednesday that targeted central Beirut and its southern suburbs, striking residential and commercial areas, often without warning.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 182 people were killed and around 900 others wounded in the operation.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared Thursday a national day of mourning, ordering the closure of public institutions and directing flags to be flown at half-mast across the country.

Israel has maintained that Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire agreement with Iran announced earlier this week by Donald Trump.

The latest surge in violence comes after Hezbollah vowed retaliation for the killing of Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike in February.

Israel has since intensified its military campaign, carrying out air and ground operations across Lebanon.

Wednesday’s bombardment marked the heaviest assault on Beirut since hostilities resumed, leaving the usually bustling capital subdued, with deserted streets and residents staying indoors amid fears of further escalation. 

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

N1,000 notes

States

Borno traders raise alarm over circulation of fake N1,000 notes in markets 

The traders called for massive sensitisation to enable local traders to identify counterfeit notes.

Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria

NationWide

Migration of ophthalmologists costs Nigeria $150,000 annually, says OSN

She called on the federal, state and local governments to employ more ophthalmologists. 

Sola Enikanolaiye

Economy

FG restates commitment to regional trade integration through ETLS

Mr Enikanolaiye described the ETLS as a cornerstone of regional trade integration and free trade. 

Troops

States

GOC charges troops to sustain ‌operational successes recorded in Kogi, environs

Mr Mahmuda commended the officers and men and urged them to maintain the core values of the army.

LAWMA SWEEPERS.

Lagos

LAWMA ‌disengages sweepers over alleged illegal waste dumping

The LAWMA boss called for public support for ongoing efforts to achieve a cleaner Lagos.Â