Lebanese officials report a significant rise in casualties from the recent Israeli airstrike in Beirut, with several children and women among the victims.
Rescue teams worked tirelessly through Saturday, sifting through rubble after a high-rise building collapsed, while additional structures were partially destroyed in the attack.
Excavators were deployed to assist with debris removal as medical personnel assessed the situation and families awaited updates on missing loved ones.
The airstrike targeted Dahieh, a densely populated neighborhood in southern Beirut known to be a Hezbollah stronghold, resulting in at least 37 fatalities, including three children, and injuring 68 others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
This attack marks Israel’s third airstrike on the Lebanese capital this year and is viewed as a severe escalation in regional tensions that heightens concerns of a larger conflict. A senior UN official has warned that the situation in the Middle East could spiral into a war of unprecedented magnitude.
Hezbollah acknowledged the deaths of senior commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi as a result of the strike.
In response, Lebanon’s health minister condemned the attack as a “violation of international humanitarian law,” emphasizing that the casualties included civilians, not just members of Hezbollah.
Israel’s military described the operation as a “precise strike,” claiming responsibility for taking out several senior commanders in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force during a meeting in Dahieh.
The IDF stated that 12 of those killed were high-ranking members of Hezbollah’s command.
Further details reveal that the deaths of Aqil and Wahbi add to the comprehensive toll from the conflict, particularly in the densely populated Dahieh area.
The future response from Hezbollah remains uncertain, as the group seeks to avoid escalating into a full-scale war with Israel, a desire echoed by its primary supporter, Iran.
Recent airstrikes follow a series of devastating explosions in Lebanon that have already overwhelmed the healthcare system, resulting in critical injuries for many.
The explosions, which occurred over two days, left 39 people dead, with many more suffering severe injuries. The escalating tensions follow a wave of cross-border attacks ignited after the unprecedented assault on Israel by Hamas.
Since early October, intense cross-border skirmishes have resulted in numerous casualties, primarily among Hezbollah fighters, while thousands have been displaced on both sides.
Israel’s defense minister indicated a shift in focus towards the northern front as the conflict escalates, signaling a “new phase of the war.”
