The Israel Defense Forces say they discovered weapons, ammunition and explosives inside a hospital in Bint Jbeil and engaged operatives who allegedly fired on Israeli troops, killing "approximately 20" inside the compound, the military reported. The IDF accused Hezbollah of repeatedly using the medical facility for military purposes and said it had warned Lebanese authorities beforehand. The incident occurred amid continued Israel–Hezbollah clashes and stalled U.S. talks with Iran in Pakistan, which U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said lasted 21 hours without producing an agreement.
IDF Says Weapons Cache Found Inside Hospital Compound in Bint Jbeil; About 20 Killed, Military Says
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on a building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.(AP Images)
Israeli forces say they uncovered a cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives inside a hospital compound in the Lebanese municipality of Bint Jbeil over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported.
Photographs shared with Fox News purportedly show arms and explosive devices that the IDF says were stored within the medical facility. According to the military, troops engaged Hezbollah operatives who were observed conducting surveillance and firing from a window inside the hospital; the IDF said it killed "approximately 20 terrorists" in the compound.
Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks on April 8, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary.
The IDF Statement: The military accused the Hezbollah organization of "systematically and repeatedly" using the hospital compound and its surroundings for military purposes, which the IDF characterized as a serious violation of international law. The IDF also said it provided prior warnings to the relevant Lebanese authorities — through multiple channels — demanding that all military activity inside hospitals cease, and that those warnings were ignored.
Context: The operation occurred amid ongoing exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israel–Lebanon border. The incident also comes as the United States pursued diplomatic talks with Iran in Pakistan, an effort that U.S. officials said did not produce a ceasefire agreement.
U.S. Reaction: Speaking from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad after 21 hours of talks, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said Iranian negotiators "chose not to accept our terms" and described the discussions as "substantive." Vance added that he had been in frequent contact with President Donald Trump and that the U.S. team coordinated with other senior administration figures, including Senator Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth.
The IDF account and the images have been circulated by Israeli officials and Fox News; independent verification of all details — including the number of fighters killed and the precise uses of the hospital compound — could not be independently confirmed at the time of reporting. Fox News Digital contributed to the reporting.
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