A powerful Israeli airstrike devastated the Basta district in central Beirut early Saturday, leaving at least 20 people dead and over 60 injured, according to Lebanese officials. The pre-dawn attack leveled an eight-storey residential building, with rescue teams working tirelessly to recover victims from the rubble.
Lebanese authorities stated the strike was aimed at Mohammed Haydar, a senior Hezbollah figure. However, Hezbollah MP Amin Sherri denied the group’s leadership was present at the site, and Haydar’s status remains unclear. Israeli media described the weapon used as a “bunker buster” bomb, previously deployed in strikes against Hezbollah.
Survivors condemned the attack, accusing Israel of indiscriminate targeting. Ali Nassar, who narrowly escaped, voiced the anguish of many: “Should you destroy buildings where people are sleeping inside? Is it necessary to kill all the people for one person?”
The strike is part of a broader Israeli campaign against Hezbollah amid escalating border hostilities. Other airstrikes on Saturday targeted southern Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood and Baalbek, where 15 people, including four children, were killed. The ongoing violence has displaced over a million Lebanese and claimed more than 3,670 lives since October 2023, worsening Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis.
International efforts to broker a ceasefire continue, but significant obstacles remain. Meanwhile, the Basta attack underscores the growing civilian toll and mounting anger in Lebanon over the conflict.
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