Israeli airstrikes on the Ras el-Nabaa neighbourhood in central Beirut, Lebanon, have resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people and injured 117 others, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
The strikes, which took place shortly after midnight on Thursday without prior warning, targeted two residential buildings in a densely populated area of the capital, including a location housing many displaced individuals, reported Al Jazeera.
This incident marks the third Israeli airstrike outside of Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, since the escalation of military operations began in late September. Previous attacks struck the Kola area on September 29 and the Bachoura neighborhood on October 3.
Eyewitnesses reported feeling the shockwaves nearly a mile away, with buildings shaking and clouds of smoke rising from the affected residential blocks. In response to the strikes, residents evacuated their apartments and gathered in courtyards as emergency services rushed to the scene.
Local news outlets have shared videos, verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, depicting chaotic scenes of devastation, with smoke and flames consuming buildings in Ras el-Nabaa and al-Nuweiri.
Earlier in the evening, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that another strike in Beirut killed 11 people and injured 48, marking the third such incident in and around the city center.
Meanwhile, medical sources indicate that Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Thursday claimed the lives of 63 individuals, further escalating the humanitarian crisis in the region.