Israeli airstrikes kill 6 in central Beirut residential areas

2026-03-18 - 05:09

Israeli airstrikes pounded residential buildings in central Beirut during the early hours of Wednesday, claiming at least six civilian lives and leaving 24 others injured, Lebanon's Health Ministry reported. The strikes targeted apartment complexes in the densely populated Zoqaq al-Blat and Basta al-Fawqa districts of the capital, marking a significant escalation in Israel's military campaign against Lebanese territory. Casualties in Central Beirut The ministry's Emergency Operations Center confirmed the preliminary death toll, noting that rescue personnel recovered human remains from the strike sites. Authorities indicated that DNA testing will be required to identify some of the victims due to the severity of the destruction. The attacks represent some of the first to strike central Beirut neighborhoods rather than the southern suburbs traditionally associated with Hezbollah presence. Wider Campaign An Anadolu correspondent reported that two additional Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs simultaneously, extending the scope of the overnight bombardment. The raids follow Israeli army orders issued Tuesday calling on residents of the southern coastal city of Tyre and adjacent Palestinian refugee camps to evacuate their homes. Military officials warned they would strike locations allegedly used by Hezbollah, though Wednesday's attacks hit residential areas far from stated military targets. The ongoing aerial campaign has intensified since Hezbollah began launching rockets toward Israeli positions on March 2, responding to what it describes as persistent Israeli aggression despite a November 2024 ceasefire agreement. The killing of Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during joint US-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 has further inflamed regional tensions, drawing Lebanon deeper into a widening conflict that increasingly exacts a heavy toll on civilian populations.