BBC traces how 10 minutes of Israeli bombing brought devastation to Lebanon

BBC analysis noted the scale of civilian casualties across Lebanon within the same 10-minute window, including at least 15 children killed in Hay el Sellom. The report emphasizes that many of those killed were civilians and questions the evidence of Hezbollah targets in several locations.

Ghassan Jawad, asleep when his building collapsed, was trapped for about 10 minutes before neighbours and a cat helped to dig him out. He described hearing people dying and the loss of family members as others worked to reach him.

The IDF said it targeted about 250 Hezbollah operatives that day and claimed most sites were within civilian areas, while Lebanon's health ministry said the vast majority of those killed were civilians. The IDF did not provide a full list of names or confirm specific targets for Hay el Sellom.

Bombs hit the al Zahraa religious complex in Sidon, killing Rahma and Rayan, two young women visiting the mosque with their family. Cleric Sheikh Sadiq Naboulsi and Hezbollah official Mohammed Ma'ani were also killed; seven of the other nine identified victims were civilians. The IDF did not confirm targets for these strikes.

In central Beirut's Corniche al Mazraa, a gym class was interrupted by a blast at 14:15, while a restaurant and other activities were affected. No evidence of a Hezbollah target was found, and a civilian witness described the sudden devastation.

In Hay el Sellom, a building was struck, with three floors collapsing into a single room. Mohammed, whose son Abbas died in the collapse, described his loss. The health ministry said more than 80 people were killed in this neighbourhood, including at least 15 children. Mohammed spoke of rebuilding a brick, but not bringing back his son.

At 14:15 local time, Israel began a wave of air strikes across Lebanon, hitting around 100 targets within about 10 minutes. The Lebanese health ministry reported more than 360 dead and over 1,000 injured. BBC analysis identifies at least five strikes in Hay el Sellom within that brief window.

Earlier on April 8, a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced, described in the article as a pause in a wider regional war.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia based in Lebanon, fired rockets into Israel on March 2 in response to US and Israeli attacks on Iran. The article notes that a wider Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon followed, with further attempts to destroy Hezbollah leadership.