Heavy Strikes Pound Dahieh as US Expresses ‘Concerns’

Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday, shortly after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for the area.

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, the strikes included a “heavy attack” with two missiles targeting Bourj al-Barajneh and a “major raid” in Ghobeiri, near Horsh Beirut, the capital’s largest park. One of the strikes caused a building in Ghobeiri to collapse, sending a massive cloud of smoke and debris into the air.

Images from the scene show a projectile hitting the lower levels of the building, which erupted in a fireball and led to the structure’s collapse.

The strikes have drawn criticism from the United States, which expressed concern about such operations in densely populated areas. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel emphasized that the U.S. opposes military actions in heavily populated parts of Beirut, reiterating the call to avoid escalation in such regions.