Midnight Airstrikes Devastate Central Beirut: 22 Dead, 117 Wounded

Israeli airstrikes hit central Beirut, killing 22 and injuring 117, as residential areas housing displaced people were targeted without warning. This marks the third strike outside of Beirut's southern Dahiyeh suburb in recent weeks. Eyewitnesses reported widespread destruction and panic among residents.

In a startling midnight offensive, Israeli airstrikes devastated the Ras el-Nabaa neighborhood of central Beirut, Lebanon, leaving at least 22 dead and 117 injured, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, as reported by Al Jazeera. The surprise attack targeted two residential buildings sheltering displaced individuals.

This incident is part of a series of Israeli military actions outside of the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, following earlier strikes on Kola and Bachoura. Witnesses recounted feeling tremors nearly a mile away, as smoke and debris filled the night air, forcing residents to evacuate into courtyards while emergency services desperately responded.

Local media footage, confirmed by Al Jazeera, depicted smoke and flames consuming the Ras el-Nabaa district. Earlier in the night, 11 people were reported killed and 48 injured in another Israeli strike in Beirut. Simultaneously, airstrikes on the Gaza Strip claimed 63 lives, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

(With inputs from agencies.)