Lebanon: multiple strikes in the heart of Beirut and its suburbs | Conflict in the Middle East

Multiple strikes hit Beirut overnight from Friday to Saturday, including a series at dawn completely destroying a residential building in the heart of the Lebanese capital, as the open war between Israel and Hezbollah enters its third month.

Rescuers worked on Saturday morning to clear the rubble using excavators, according to images from AFPTV. The rescuers cited by Ani reported a large number of dead and injuredwithout further details immediately.

The capital Beirut woke up to a terrifying massacre as Israeli aircraft completely destroyed an eight-story residential building with five missiles on Maamoun Street in the Basta neighborhoodindicated the National Information Agency Ani.

Journalists from theAFP across Beirut and its surroundings heard at least three loud explosions, followed by a pungent smell, after a day of intense bombing in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of pro-Iranian Hezbollah, in open war against Israel.

The strike damaged several nearby buildings and several ambulances rushed to the site of the targeted building, which turned into a pile of rubble, in this popular and densely populated district of Basta, according to AFPTV images.

A huge crater is visible on videos circulating on social networks, but that theAFP could not verify.

During a speech on Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Naïm Qassem warned that his movement would target the center of Tel Avivin Israel, in response to recent Israeli strikes on Beirut.

Earlier on Friday, as well as during the night from Friday to Saturday, Ani had already reported a series of Israeli strikes against the southern suburbs of the capital.

Several buildings were targeted, including two located on the outskirts of Beirut's southern suburbs, in the still densely populated Chiyah sector of Ghobeiry, which is home to several shopping centers, again after calls to evacuate.

In southern Lebanon, where Israel, in open war against Lebanese Hezbollah, has been carrying out land incursions since September 30, five rescuers affiliated with the pro-Iranian movement were killed, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

And in eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah is also present, an Israeli strike killed the director of the Dar al-Amal hospital near Baalbeck, and six members of the nursing staff, in his residence located next to the health establishment, according to the ministry.

These strikes come while theOMS said Friday that nearly 230 health workers have been killed in Lebanon since October 7, 2023, deploring an extremely worrying figure.

The Israeli army said it had carried out a series of strikes on Hezbollah terrorist command centers in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

She added that she had touched Hezbollah terrorist targets in the Tire region (south), including command centers et weapons storage facilities.

Fierce fighting in the south

For the first time on Friday, Israeli troops entered the village of Deir Mimas, about 2.5 kilometers from the border.

Of the enemy reconnaissance drones flew over largely deserted Deir Mimas, warning residents not to leave their homesreported Ani.

The Israeli army tried to advance in several places along the border, notably in the town of Khiam, where Hezbollah claimed numerous attacks on Friday.

The Shiite movement reported clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Al Djabeen, in the south of the country.

Clashes also took place during the night in the village of Khiam, according to Lebanese media.

Furthermore, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported an attack exceptional of drones towards northern Israel.

Hezbollah, for its part, claimed to have carried out several attacks against various targets in Israel, notably in Kiryat Shmona.

Gaza hospitals in danger

Separately, the Hamas Ministry of Health launched Friday an urgent warning, as all hospitals in the Gaza Strip will stop functioning or reduce their services for 48 hours due to the obstruction of the entry of fuel by Israel in the Palestinian enclave.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said deeply concerned by the situation of 80 patients, including 8 in intensive care, and staff at Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of only two partially functioning hospitals in northern Gaza.

An attack had targeted the establishment the day before, damaging the generator and the water tank, added the head of the organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The director of the hospital, Hossam Abou Safiyeh, toldAFP that his establishment had been targeted again by Israeli strikes on Friday, reporting a doctor and patients injured.

Civil Defense reported 12 dead and several injured in strikes in the east and south of Gaza City.

With information from Agence France-Presse, Al Akhbar and Al Jazeera