Israeli airstrikes in Beirut killed more than 300 people and wounded 1,165 others during a concentrated 10-minute bombing campaign on Wednesday.
- Casualties: Over 300 dead and 1,165 wounded, a toll higher than the 2020 Beirut port explosion.
- Scale: More than 100 targets were struck within a 10-minute window.
- Operation: The Israeli military has dubbed the campaign “Operation Eternal Darkness.”
Mass Casualties and Medical Crisis
The scale of the attacks caused a surge of casualties that overwhelmed local health systems. The American University of Beirut Medical College (AUBMC) reported receiving approximately 70 critically injured patients simultaneously.
Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a surgeon at AUBMC, noted that the short timeframe of the strikes appeared intentional to flood the health system. He treated victims including an 11-month-old infant who required emergency surgery to relieve cranial pressure.
Dr. Firass Abiad, a surgeon and former health minister, described a toll of crush injuries and elderly patients, including a woman who required bilateral leg amputations and a 90-year-old man who succumbed to his wounds.
Operation Eternal Darkness
The Israeli military stated the strikes targeted Hezbollah “command and control centres.” Spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed that Hezbollah fighters had begun repositioning from Shiite strongholds toward northern Beirut and mixed residential areas.
However, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of targeting densely populated residential neighborhoods. Salam stated the killing of unarmed civilians is a breach of international law.
Residents in the Barbour neighborhood of central Beirut reported that the strikes utilized 1,000lb bombs in residential zones. Local residents rejected Israeli claims of Hezbollah presence in the area, asserting that the strikes primarily hit civilians.
Impact on Civil Infrastructure
In the Barbour neighborhood, multiple buildings were reduced to rubble. First responders reported finding no survivors in some impact sites, recovering only remains.
Barbour is described as a mixed neighborhood with little Hezbollah support. Prior to the strikes, schools in the area had been opened to shelter over 1.1 million people displaced by a month of bombing across Lebanon.
Regional Conflict Context
The war began on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, triggering an Israeli invasion and bombing campaign. Total casualties in Lebanon have reached approximately 1,800 dead and 5,873 wounded.
The intensity of Wednesday’s strikes has effectively erased hopes that a ceasefire with Iran would halt the hostilities in Lebanon.
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