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Southern Beirut neighborhood devastated in rapid strikes
The once-bustling Hay el Sellom in Beirut's southern suburbs now lies in ruins after Israeli airstrikes on April 8 killed 361 people and injured over 1,000 in a 10-minute assault, Lebanese authorities reported.
Neighborhood spared until sudden attack
Residents said Hay el Sellom had avoided the worst of Israel's strikes since the conflict escalated in October, despite repeated evacuation orders. Many stayed, citing no safe alternatives. Mohammed, a local father, recounted how his son Abbas died when their building collapsed during the afternoon bombardment.
"The three floors above mine all fell into one room. They came down together... on top of him."
Mohammed, Hay el Sellom resident
Israel stated the strikes targeted 100 Hezbollah sites, but witnesses and officials said civilians bore the brunt of the casualties.
Scale of destruction unprecedented
The Lebanese health ministry confirmed 80 deaths in Hay el Sellom alone, including at least 15 children. Rescue efforts were hampered by narrow streets and dense rubble, with survivors describing trapped victims sending desperate messages before succumbing.
Ghassan Jawad, pulled from the wreckage after his cat clawed an air hole, recalled hearing his mother's prayers stop abruptly. "It became silent," he said. "Completely silent."
Strikes extend beyond Hezbollah strongholds
Corniche al Mazraa, a central Beirut district untouched until April 8, was hit simultaneously, killing 16 people. Fitness instructor Noha, working seven stories above a confectionery warehouse, described the blast's aftermath: "People were covered in blood. The world was black."
No evidence of Hezbollah presence was found in the area, and Israel did not respond to queries about the targets.
Controversy over civilian toll
The IDF claimed 250 Hezbollah operatives were killed but provided no names. Lebanon's health ministry disputed this, asserting most victims were civilians. The IDF defended its actions, citing "extensive efforts to mitigate harm," while accusing Hezbollah of using civilians as "human shields."
Hezbollah denied the claim, calling civilian casualties a deliberate Israeli pressure tactic.
Regional strikes and lingering trauma
Attacks spanned Lebanon, from Hermel in the north to Sidon in the south, where a Hezbollah-affiliated mosque was destroyed. Sisters Rahma and Rayan, displaced from near the Israeli border, were killed while praying. Their mother, Kawkab, said, "We came here for safety."
Israel named the operation Eternal Darkness. For Lebanese survivors, April 8 is now known as Black Wednesday.
