Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut kill 22, injure 117 amid escalating Tel Aviv bombardment

At least 22 people were killed and 117 injured in two Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut neighborhoods, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The strikes targeted Ras Al Naba’a and Basta Al Fawqa, with plumes of smoke seen rising from a densely populated building, as reported by Anadolu.

Lebanon’s National News Agency stated that the first strike hit the third floor of an eight-story building in the Nowayri area, while the second destroyed a four-story building on Fathallah Street, completely collapsing it.

Israeli Channel 12 claimed the Nowayri strike was aimed at Wafik Safa, Hezbollah’s head of coordination and liaison, who plays a key role in the group’s external relations and diplomatic negotiations. Hezbollah has not commented on these reports.

Since September 23, Israel has launched extensive airstrikes across Lebanon. These strikes have killed over 1,323 people and injured nearly 3,700. The escalation follows a year-long cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which intensified after Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Despite international warnings of a regional war, Israel expanded the conflict by initiating a ground incursion into southern Lebanon on October 1.