A powerful Israeli airstrike in central Beirut early Saturday has left at least 20 dead and over 60 injured, according to Lebanese officials.
The pre-dawn attack, aimed at targeting a senior Hezbollah figure, devastated an eight-storey residential building in the crowded Basta district, leaving rescue teams racing to retrieve bodies from the rubble.
The strike, described by witnesses as “horrific,” has sparked widespread anger in Lebanon, with residents accusing Israel of indiscriminate attacks.
Ali Nassar, a 55-year-old who survived the blast, questioned the necessity of such measures. “Even if one person is hiding here… Should you destroy buildings where people are sleeping inside? Is it necessary to kill all the people for one person? Or are we not humans?” he asked.
Israeli media reported the attack aimed to kill Mohammed Haydar, a senior Hezbollah official. However, Hezbollah MP Amin Sherri denied that any of the group’s leaders were in the building, and Haydar’s fate remains unclear.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented on the strike, which Lebanese media said involved a “bunker buster” bomb—previously used to target Hezbollah leadership.
The assault was one of several airstrikes across Lebanon on Saturday. Southern Beirut’s Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold, was also hit, while strikes in Baalbek killed at least 15 people, including four children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The strikes come amid intensified Israeli military action against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that Israel accuses of escalating hostilities along the border.
The conflict has heightened calls for a ceasefire, with international diplomats, including U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, attempting to broker a deal.
The proposed ceasefire includes a 60-day halt to hostilities, withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the deployment of additional Lebanese troops.
However, disagreements persist over the timeline and monitoring mechanisms. Both Hezbollah and Iran have signaled interest in negotiations, though Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has warned the group is prepared for a prolonged conflict if necessary.
Lebanon has borne the brunt of the violence, with over 3,670 killed and more than a million displaced since October 2023, Lebanese authorities say.
The Basta attack adds to the mounting civilian toll, further straining Lebanon’s already fragile political and economic situation.
In Israel, the conflict has also displaced thousands in the north, as Hezbollah’s rocket attacks continue despite intensified Israeli operations