Six Dead After Israeli Airstrike Hits Beirut Residential Area

BEIRUT (AP), Mar 18: At least six people were killed after an Israeli airstrike hit central Beirut early Wednesday without warning, according to Lebanese authorities. The strike targeted an apartment in the densely populated Zuqaq al-Blat neighbourhood, located near government headquarters and several embassies, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The escalation comes amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, which intensified after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel following US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 2. Since then, Israel has carried out repeated airstrikes across multiple Lebanese regions and conducted ground operations in the south, including several attacks on central Beirut.

Central Beirut
An Israeli airstrike early Wednesday flattened an apartment building in the Bachoura district of central Beirut, shortly after residents were warned to evacuate the area. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the site as morning broke, with passing traffic moving through nearby streets.

The strike marked the fourth time the building had been targeted, following three earlier attacks on March 12 that failed to destroy it. The Israeli military had previously claimed the site was used by Hezbollah to store large sums of money intended to finance its activities, though no evidence was publicly provided.

The attack comes amid a widening escalation, with Israeli forces increasing strikes not only in southern Lebanon but also in central Beirut—areas that were not initially part of evacuation warnings earlier in the conflict. The Israeli army said it had launched a new wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in response to incoming fire toward Israeli territory.

No injuries were immediately reported following the Bachoura strike.