At least six people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut early Thursday morning. This was reported by representatives of the Lebanese medical services. And before that, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they had carried out a “targeted” attack against the Lebanese capital.
The target of the attack was reportedly a residential building in Beirut’s Bashura district, near the Lebanese government building. The attack was the second Israeli attack on central Beirut this week.
Images from the scene show a heavily damaged building with a fire on one of the lower floors. According to Lebanese doctors, in addition to the six dead, seven people were injured.
Numerous attacks were also reported in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiya.
An IDF statement confirming the military strikes in Beirut said more details would be released later.
The residential apartment building in Al-Bashoura, central Beirut, which was bombed moments ago. Fixed: It was reported to be an assassination attempt, however there are conflicting unconfirmed reports. pic.twitter.com/t1ffYpwZoD
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) October 3, 2024
Two strikes tonight downtown #Beirutone of them in Bachoura, a few steps from the Lebanese Parliament and multiple Western embassies. #Israel It is not only targeting areas controlled by Hezbollah. This is the very heart of Lebanon’s capital. pic.twitter.com/W0PKg1V7mH
– Leila Molana-Allen (@Leila_MA) October 2, 2024
All rights reserved. #الباشورة قرب #سليم_سلام في #بيروت#ملحق pic.twitter.com/Ops6Al9uIz
— Mulhak – ملحق (@Mulhak) October 2, 2024
The Beirut attacks came hours after the Syrian state news agency SANA reported that three people were killed and three others wounded in a suspected Israeli attack on Damascus on Wednesday afternoon.
SANA described them as “civilians,” although one of them was later reported to be Hassan Kassir, brother of a senior Hezbollah commander killed by Israel on Tuesday.
Kassir’s brother, Muhammad Jafar, headed Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, whose mission was to transport weapons from Iran and its allies to Lebanon. Jafar was killed in the Beirut attack along with unit commander Imam Hossein, an Iranian militia operating alongside Hezbollah.
According to several Arab media reports, Hassan Kassir was the son-in-law of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whom Israel killed in Dahiyeh last week.
Cursor previously wrote that CNN assessed whether Israel would attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
