Israel launched a targeted airstrike on central Beirut early Thursday, killing at least six people, following its deadliest day of fighting against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in over a year. The strike, which hit the heart of the Lebanese capital, came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah as the conflict threatens to draw in broader regional powers.
The Israeli military said the airstrike was a precision attack, but the blast shook the Bachoura neighborhood, located near Lebanon’s parliament, marking the closest Israeli strike to the country’s seat of government in years. Lebanese health officials confirmed that six people were killed and at least seven others wounded. A photo circulated on social media, which Reuters could not verify, showed a building in flames, its facade severely damaged.
Simultaneously, Israeli missiles struck the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold where the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed last week. Lebanese security officials reported three missiles hitting the area, causing loud explosions. The southern suburbs have been under heavy bombardment, with more than a dozen Israeli strikes recorded on Wednesday.
The airstrike followed a day of intense ground fighting in southern Lebanon, where eight Israeli soldiers were killed, according to Israeli officials. It was the deadliest single day for Israeli forces in the conflict with Hezbollah in over a year. Israel said its infantry and armored units pushed further into Lebanon in response to Iran’s missile barrage on Wednesday, which saw over 180 rockets fired into Israeli territory.
Hezbollah confirmed that its fighters engaged Israeli forces inside Lebanon, reporting ground clashes for the first time since Israeli troops crossed the border on Monday. The group claimed to have destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks near the border town of Maroun El Ras.
In a video message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences for the fallen soldiers, declaring, “We are in the midst of a difficult war against Iran’s Axis of Evil, which seeks our destruction.”
The mounting violence has raised concerns that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional war, further destabilizing the oil-rich Middle East. Both sides appear entrenched, with the prospect of a diplomatic resolution seeming increasingly distant.
