Israeli airstrike kills 11 in central Beirut
Lebanese officials said no senior Hezbollah figure died in the bombing.
An Israeli airstrike killed at least 11 people in central Beirut and left dozens injured, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel bombed an eight-story building in Beirut overnight as part of a military escalation directed against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The Israeli strike reduced the residential building to rubble and heavily damaged the Basta neighborhood, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
There was no senior Hezbollah member in the building that was destroyed, Lebanese officials told CNN, adding that at least 63 other people were injured in the strike. Rescuers are searching for survivors under the debris.
Lebanese officials accused Israel of employing bunker-penetrating bombs to hit underground targets. These weapons were previously used to target senior Hezbollah figures, including then leader Hassan Nasrallah who was killed in September.
Israel’s latest strike in Beirut comes shortly after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The judges in The Hague hold the Israeli government officials responsible for using “starvation as a method of warfare” and “intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”
Israeli is continuing its military escalation despite efforts by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to broker a cease-fire deal during a visit to the region this week.
What's Your Reaction?
