Israeli Air Strikes Kill 22, Injure 117 in Beirut, Lebanese Ministry Confirms

At least 22 people were killed and 117 injured after Israeli air strikes hit central Beirut on Thursday evening, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. The strikes targeted the Bachoura district, a predominantly Shia area, resulting in widespread devastation as rescuers sifted through rubble to recover victims.

Loud explosions were reported in the Bachoura neighborhoods of Nweiri and Basta, with Israeli rockets and grenades striking residential buildings, according to local media reports. Ambulances rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, including the American University hospital, where many victims were being treated for severe injuries.

According to security sources, Wafiq Safa, a close ally of assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the apparent target of the strikes, survived the attack. Neither Israeli forces nor Hezbollah have commented on the incident thus far.

This assault marks the third time Israeli air strikes have hit areas outside the southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold that has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks.

The Lebanese capital had experienced two relatively calm days before the strikes, following a period of intense bombardment. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have yet to issue any statement regarding the latest strikes.

The air strikes in Beirut come just hours after two Indonesian UN peacekeepers were injured in southern Lebanon when an Israeli tank reportedly fired on a UN observation tower in Naqoura, according to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil). The UN condemned the attack, calling it a “grave violation of international law.” Despite being injured, the peacekeepers were not critically harmed and remain in hospital.

In Naqoura, Hezbollah responded to Israeli forces by firing rockets and using guided missiles to destroy an Israeli tank, according to local media reports. Casualties from the Hezbollah attack have not been officially confirmed.

Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated significantly since early October, following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered retaliatory strikes across Lebanon. The conflict, which has engulfed the region, has seen thousands of lives lost on both sides, with escalating violence showing no signs of abating.

The United Nations and global leaders have called for de-escalation and urged for the protection of civilians amid the intensifying conflict.