Israeli airstrikes struck several central Beirut districts on Tuesday, targeting areas that had remained untouched during the two-month conflict. The strikes followed warnings from the Israeli military to evacuate central parts of the Lebanese capital, causing widespread panic and heavy traffic as residents scrambled to leave.
Smoke was seen rising from the Hamra district, a bustling area home to residential buildings, businesses, and the American University of Beirut. The strikes reportedly hit a money transfer company and a Hezbollah-linked financial firm, Al-Qard al-Hassan, in the Zuqaq al-Blat area.
Other attacks targeted Beirut’s Mar Elias district and Barbour neighbourhood. The latter strike reportedly killed three people and injured others. Seven more fatalities were reported in Nweiri, where Hezbollah lawmaker Amin Sherri had delivered a defiant speech earlier in the day.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel’s security cabinet was poised to agree on a truce with Hezbollah, raising questions about the timing of these strikes. Meanwhile, Lebanese streets were eerily empty as drones buzzed overhead, spreading fear among residents in previously unaffected areas.
The strikes mark a significant escalation in Israel’s bombing campaign, which had previously focused on southern Beirut suburbs, and bring the conflict closer to civilian and commercial hubs in the capital.
