Deadly Israeli Airstrike Escalates Tensions in Beirut

Lebanon's health minister reported that an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb has resulted in 31 deaths and 68 injuries, marking the deadliest attack since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The airstrike, targeting Hezbollah members, adds to the ongoing violent exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah amidst broader regional tensions.

Lebanon's health minister announced Saturday that an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb the previous day left 31 dead, which includes seven women and three children.

Firass Abiad revealed that 68 individuals were also injured, with 15 still hospitalized, making it the deadliest Israeli airstrike on Beirut since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Among the dead was Ibrahim Akil, a Hezbollah commander, and about a dozen Hezbollah members meeting in the destroyed building's basement, including three Syrian nationals.

Friday evening, the Israeli military confirmed the strike killed 11 Hezbollah operatives, including Akil, as part of an airstrike targeting the densely populated southern Beirut neighborhood during rush hour. Hezbollah's media office on Saturday guided journalists to the site still being cleared of rubble by workers, with Lebanese troops restricting access and the Lebanese Red Cross available to handle recovered bodies.

(With inputs from agencies.)