Dozens of people have been killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, including 29 deaths from a devastating attack that flattened a multi-story residential building in central Beirut’s densely populated Basta area.
According to the IDF, 12 Hezbollah command centers were struck by the Israel Air Force in Dahieh, Beirut, including sites used by Hezbollah’s Intelligence Unit, coast-to-sea missile unit, and Unit 4400–responsible for smuggling weapons from Iran through Syria into Lebanon. The IDF said, these command centers were used to plan, command, and execute terrorist attacks against Israel and monitor terrorist activity against IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Health revised the death toll upward on Sunday, initially reporting 20 deaths before confirming the higher number. Rescue teams continued working late into the weekend as the tragic aftermath of the Israeli airstrike became clear.
The Beirut airstrike is just one of several across the country as Israel continues its aggressive military campaign against Hezbollah, despite efforts to establish a ceasefire. The IDF confirmed that its strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut targeted Hezbollah positions.
The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for several buildings in the area to reduce civilian harm, but those affected reported heavy bombings. The strike in Basta, among others, marks an escalation of Israeli air raids on central Beirut, following a similar airstrike last Sunday that killed a Hezbollah spokesperson, reported CNN.
Outside Beirut, Israeli airstrikes have also struck the Baalbek-Hermel region in eastern Lebanon, where at least 13 people, including four children, were killed in an attack on Shmistar. Another 13 were wounded in that strike, while additional airstrikes in surrounding towns resulted in at least 11 deaths and 32 injuries. In southern Lebanon, the city of Tyre was also targeted, with five people killed and 19 others injured in the Israeli bombardment.
Since September, Israeli airstrikes have killed numerous Hezbollah commanders and targeted key infrastructure, leading to widespread devastation in southern Lebanon. The toll of this conflict has been heavy on Lebanon, with more than 3,000 killed and over a million displaced, according to the United Nations.