Beirut, Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes in Beirut killed at least six people on Wednesday, Lebanon’s health ministry said, as Israel intensified its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Strikes also hit the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, with explosions lighting up the night sky.
Strikes in central Beirut and southern suburbs
Israeli air strikes pounded the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, according to Reuters footage showing explosions in the night sky. While most Israeli strikes in the Beirut area have targeted the southern suburbs, Israel has also launched attacks in central areas of the capital since Lebanon was dragged into the war in the Middle East on March 2.
Damage reported in Zuqaq al-Blat, Basta and Bachoura
An airstrike around 1:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) destroyed several floors of an apartment block in Beirut’s Zuqaq al-Blat district, while a strike in the nearby Basta district tore through at least two floors of a building.
Later, at around 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT), a more powerful strike destroyed an entire building in the Bachoura neighbourhood, an area close to downtown Beirut that was also targeted by Israel last week. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the Bachoura strike.
Warnings and reported casualties
Ahead of the Bachoura strike, the Israeli military issued a warning on social media highlighting a building and saying it intended to act against what it described as a Hezbollah facility in the area.
No warning was issued ahead of the strikes in Zuqaq al-Blat and Basta, in which the Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 24 wounded.
Earlier strikes and broader toll
The Israeli military carried out airstrikes in the Bachoura and Zuqaq al-Blat neighbourhoods last week, both near the headquarters of the Lebanese government in Beirut’s downtown district.
Lebanese authorities say more than 900 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli attacks since Hezbollah entered the regional war in support of Tehran on March 2, and more than 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes.
There have been no reported fatalities in Israel as a result of Hezbollah’s rocket and drone attacks, while the Israeli military has said two of its soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon during the offensive.
How do you think the continued strikes in Beirut will affect daily life in the Lebanese capital?
