Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people and wounded 63 others in central Beirut Saturday, marking the fourth bombardment of Lebanon’s capital in less than a week, as international diplomacy struggles to contain the widening regional conflict.
Lebanese health officials warned the death toll could rise as emergency teams searched through rubble from the pre-dawn strikes that destroyed an eight-story building. The ministry reported using DNA testing to identify victims, highlighting the severity of the 4 a.m. attack that left a massive crater in its wake.
The escalation comes despite U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein’s recent regional visit aimed at brokering a cease-fire in the 13-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The fighting has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon and wounded 15,000, while displacing approximately 1.2 million Lebanese citizens – a quarter of the country’s population.
In southern Lebanon, a separate drone strike killed one person and injured another in Tyre, with state media identifying the victims as young teenage fishermen. An Associated Press journalist witnessed the strike from a nearby hotel after observing the victims setting up fishing nets.
Israel’s military, which did not comment on the civilian casualties, announced strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, citing intelligence about command centers and weapons storage facilities. The army posted warnings on social media for residents near alleged Hezbollah facilities to evacuate at least 500 meters away.
Meanwhile in Gaza, violence continued unabated with at least six people, including three children and two women, killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Associated Press reporters at Nasser Hospital. The territory’s death toll has exceeded 44,000 during the 13-month war, with Gaza’s Health Ministry reporting that more than half of casualties are women and children.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached critical levels, with the United Nations reporting severe hunger across central and southern regions. In Deir al-Balah, bread prices soared above $13 per bag as bakeries suspended operations, leading to tragic incidents including the fatal shooting of two women waiting in a breadline Saturday.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 hostages, has left about 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents displaced, many living in makeshift camps with minimal access to food, water, and basic services. Approximately 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least one-third presumed dead.
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