Israel carried out a wave of powerful airstrikes across Beirut on Wednesday, sparking widespread panic among residents in what witnesses described as the most intense attack on the Lebanese capital since the war with Hezbollah began.
According to the Israeli military, the operation marked its “largest coordinated strike across Lebanon.” Officials also reiterated that the recently agreed two-week truce in its conflict with Iran does not extend to Lebanon.
The strikes hit multiple locations simultaneously and without prior warning, sending people fleeing through the streets as drivers blared their horns in chaotic attempts to escape, AFP journalists reported.
“I saw the blast—it was very strong,” said Yasser Abdallah, an appliance store worker in central Beirut, speaking to AFP. “There were children killed, some with their hands cut off.”
One of the strikes targeted Corniche al-Mazraa, a major thoroughfare in the city. An AFP photographer at the scene described extensive destruction, with buildings engulfed in flames and vehicles reduced to wreckage.
“A plane struck, and people started running in all directions, with smoke billowing from the building that was hit,” another witness, Ali Younes, told AFP.
In addition to central Beirut, Israeli forces also struck the capital’s southern suburbs and areas in southern Lebanon known to be Hezbollah strongholds. These attacks followed evacuation warnings issued by Israel, alongside strikes in eastern parts of the country.
Emergency sirens and ambulance activity were reported across the affected as rescue efforts began.
