22 killed, 117 injured in Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut

By Anadolu staff

BEIRUT (AA) - At least 22 people were killed and 117 others injured in two Israeli airstrikes on neighborhoods in central Beirut.

The strikes in the neighborhoods of Ras Al Naba'a and Basta Al Fawqa caused plumes of smoke to rise from one of the densely populated buildings, according to an Anadolu reporter.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported in a statement that the initial toll from the Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's center stands at 22 dead and 117 injured.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that preliminary information suggests the first airstrike in Beirut hit the third floor of an eight-story building in the Nowayri area.

The second strike targeted a four-story building on Fathallah Street in Basta Al Fawqa, which collapsed entirely, the agency added.

According to Israeli Channel 12, the Israeli army's recent strike in the Nowayri area targeted Wafik Safa, Hezbollah’s head of coordination and liaison.

Safa is responsible for the party's external relations and coordination with various parties.

Safa plays a crucial role as a mediator between Hezbollah and the international community, as well as between the group and Lebanese security agencies.

He is also involved in sensitive negotiations and diplomatic meetings on behalf of Hezbollah, working to resolve disputes and enhance relations, according to the Anadolu correspondent.

Hezbollah has yet to comment on the Israeli media claims.

Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23 that have killed more than 1,323 people and injured nearly 3,700.

The aerial campaign is an escalation of the year-long cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Tel Aviv’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 42,000 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio