At least six people were killed and 24 others injured after Israel carried out airstrikes on central Beirut early Wednesday, according to Lebanese authorities, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing regional conflict. The strikes targeted densely populated neighbourhoods, including Zuqaq al-Blat and Basta, with officials stating that no prior evacuation warning was issued before the attacks.

Lebanon’s state news agency reported that one of the strikes hit an apartment building in Zuqaq al-Blat, an area close to government offices and foreign embassies. Additional strikes were reported in Basta, another crowded district that has previously been targeted during earlier confrontations. Emergency responders were seen at the sites, with significant structural damage reported to residential buildings. The Lebanese Health Ministry said some victims’ identities may require DNA testing due to the severity of the blasts.

The escalation comes amid intensifying hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which has been actively engaged in cross-border attacks. The Israeli military confirmed it had begun targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, including areas near Tyre and Sidon, as part of a broader military operation. Later, Israeli forces also issued evacuation warnings for buildings in central Beirut’s Bashoura district before carrying out further strikes.

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The conflict widened after Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel earlier this month following joint US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Since then, Israel has conducted sustained air and ground operations across multiple Lebanese regions, including repeated strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, considered a Hezbollah stronghold.

Local authorities said panic spread in southern cities such as Tyre after evacuation warnings were issued, though many residents chose to remain despite the risks. Thousands of displaced people have taken shelter in the region, with reports indicating that more than one million individuals have been affected by the ongoing violence. Lebanese officials estimate that Israeli strikes have killed over 900 people since the escalation began earlier this month.

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