Video: Israeli airstrike in Beirut kills four, injures 33 as violence escalates
People gather as rescuers work to save people trapped under the rubble in central Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, where at least four Israeli missiles struck an apartment building on November 23, 2024 [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
An Israeli airstrike struck Beirut’s Basta neighborhood early Saturday, leaving at least four people dead and 33 injured, according to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar broadcaster and Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The attack destroyed an eight-story building and caused significant damage to surrounding structures, with security sources confirming the use of at least four bombs.
This marks the fourth Israeli airstrike on central Beirut in a week, as part of Israel’s broader offensive against Hezbollah.
While most airstrikes have targeted Hezbollah-controlled areas in the southern suburbs, the latest escalation comes amid nearly a year of cross-border hostilities.
The conflict, which began after Hezbollah’s show of solidarity with Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has seen Israel intensify its military operations across Lebanon since September 2024.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire are ongoing, with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein holding discussions with Lebanese officials before traveling to meet Israeli leaders.
The meetings have reportedly yielded some progress, but the violence continues unabated, heightening fears of a broader regional conflict.
Israel’s raging violence in Gaza has killed at least 44,056 Palestinians and wounded 104,286 since October 7, 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day, and more than 200 were taken captive.
In Lebanon, at least 3,645 people have been killed and 15,355 wounded in Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began.
