Breaking: Israeli Strike Destroys 8-Story Beirut Building, Kills 4

Lebanon reported that at least four people were killed and 23 others injured in a massive Israeli airstrike on central Beirut early on Saturday. The attack completely destroyed an eight-story residential building in the Basta al-Fawqa area, causing widespread devastation. Rescue teams worked for hours to remove rubble from the site, with civil defense teams and fire trucks nearby. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed the preliminary death toll and injuries from the strike, which occurred at around 4:00 AM local time, and noted that no evacuation warning was given by the Israeli military.

The National News Agency of Lebanon stated that Israeli jets launched six missiles at the building, which also caused damage to nearby structures. AFP reporters in Beirut heard several large explosions around the time of the attack. This was the second Israeli airstrike on the Basta district since the war began, with a previous attack in early October targeting both the Basta and Nweiri neighborhoods.

Later in the day, another Israeli strike hit the Hadath area, which lies in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. This attack was part of a broader escalation that began in September, following cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah, and later included Israeli ground troop deployments in southern Lebanon.

The majority of the Israeli strikes have focused on Hezbollah positions, although some have affected areas outside the group’s control, including central Beirut. The airstrikes came after a series of attacks in the southern suburbs of Beirut, including a bombing that destroyed an 11-story building.

Earlier in the week, Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut’s Zokak al-Blat and Mar Elias districts, resulting in further casualties. Hezbollah spokesperson Mohammed Afif was also killed in a strike on Ras al-Nabaa.

Since the start of the conflict in October 2023, Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reported that at least 3,645 people have been killed, most of them since September, when Hezbollah escalated its involvement in the conflict in support of Hamas during the Gaza war.