A powerful air strike has killed 11 people in central Beirut, the Lebanese civil defence says, shaking the capital as Israel presses its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
At least four people were killed and 23 wounded in the attack on Saturday in Beirut's Basta neighbourhood, Hezbollah's al-Manar broadcaster reported, citing the health ministry.
Lebanon's National News Agency said early on Saturday that the attack resulted in a large number of fatalities and injuries and destroyed an eight-storey building.Â
The attack marks the fourth Israeli air strike this week targeting a central area of Beirut. (AP PHOTO)
Footage broadcast by Lebanon's Al Jadeed station showed at least one destroyed building and several others badly damaged around it.
Israel used bunker buster bombs in the strike, leaving a deep crater, the agency said.Â
Beirut smelled strongly of explosives hours after the attack.
The blasts shook the capital about 4am (0200 GMT), Reuters witnesses said.Â
Security sources said at least four bombs were dropped in the attack.
It marked the fourth Israeli air strike this week targeting a central area of Beirut, where the bulk of Israel's attacks have targeted the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs.Â
On Sunday an Israeli air strike killed a Hezbollah media official in the Ras al-Nabaa district of central Beirut.
🎥 WATCH the IAF dismantle 45+ of Hezbollah's launchers all over southern Lebanon. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) This week, Hezbollah fired countless rockets toward several areas of Israel and endangered the lives of millions of Israelis who had to run to shelter.Whether it is from land, air, or sea, we… pic.twitter.com/k6O3rtgu0GNovember 22, 2024
A man whose family was hurt tried to comfort a traumatised woman outside a hospital.Â
Car windows were shattered.
"There was dust and wrecked houses, people running and screaming, they were running, my wife is in hospital, my daughter is in hospital, my aunt is in the hospital," said the man, Nemir Zakariya, who held up a picture of his daughter.
"This is the little one, and my son also got hurt - this is my daughter, she is in the American University (of Beirut Medical Centre).
"This is what happened."
Israel launched a major offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon in September, following almost a year of cross-border hostilities ignited by the Gaza war, pounding wide areas of Lebanon with air strikes and sending troops into the south.
Israeli strikes killed at least 62 people and injured 111 in Lebanon on Thursday, bringing the toll since October 2023 to 3645 dead and 15,355 injured, Lebanon's health ministry said.Â
The figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Hezbollah and the Lebanese government accuse Israel of indiscriminate bombing. (AP PHOTO)
Hezbollah and the Lebanese government accuse Israel of indiscriminate bombing that kills civilians.Â
Israel denies the allegation and says it takes numerous steps to avoid the deaths of civilians.
Hezbollah strikes in the same period have killed more than 100 people in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.Â
They include more than 70 soldiers killed in strikes in northern Israel and the Golan Heights and in combat in southern Lebanon, according to Israel.
The conflict began when Hezbollah opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas after it launched the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
A US mediator travelled to Lebanon and Israel this week in an effort to secure a ceasefire.
The envoy, Amos Hochstein, indicated progress had been made after meetings in Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday, before going to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.