Israeli airstrike on central Beirut leaves 6 people killed, 7 injured

At least six people were killed and seven others injured in an overnight Israeli airstrike on an apartment in the Bachoura area of central Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Thursday.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, the airstrike left heavy damage in the surrounding buildings and cars in the targeted area.

The Israeli army also carried out several airstrikes on neighborhoods in a southern suburb of Beirut, leaving behind a huge plume of smoke.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency said that up until daybreak on Thursday, Israeli forces carried out 17 airstrikes on Beirut and its southern suburb.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement that the army carried out “targeted” strikes on Beirut, but gave no further details.

The agency also reported more Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanese villages and towns.

Israel has launched massive airstrikes since Sept. 23 on what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon that have killed more than 1,100 victims and injured over 3,000, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The top leadership of Lebanese group Hezbollah was killed in the Israeli assaults, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,700 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.