Israeli warplanes launched powerful airstrikes on central and coastal areas of Beirut on Wednesday afternoon, striking densely populated commercial and residential neighborhoods without prior warning, in what Lebanese officials and media described as the most violent assault on the capital since the latest phase of the conflict began.
The strikes targeted at least five neighborhoods, including the Corniche al Mazraa area. Explosions rocked the streets, ambulances raced through traffic, and charred vehicles littered areas hit by the barrage.
Lebanese media, citing the Lebanese Red Cross, report that the death toll could reach 300, with many more injured.
The office of the Lebanese President condemned the attacks, calling them a “new massacre” by Israel, describing the strikes as “barbaric.”
The attacks came just hours after the United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire in their direct conflict, which had involved intense exchanges over the past weeks.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, quickly clarified that the truce did not extend to Israel’s ongoing operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel maintained that its campaign in Lebanon would continue, rejecting assertions by ceasefire mediator Pakistan that the deal should encompass the broader regional hostilities.
Iran responded to the strikes by condemning them as a clear violation of the spirit of the US-Iran ceasefire and a dangerous escalation.
Iranian state media reported that Tehran is actively weighing “deterrent operations” against Israel, accusing it of breaching the fragile truce by continuing attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Since the Israel-Hezbollah war resumed on March 2, Lebanese authorities report that Israeli strikes and operations have killed at least 1,530 people in Lebanon, including more than 100 women and 130 children, as well as dozens of health workers.
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