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Beirut building destroyed in predawn strike
An Israeli missile demolished a multi-story structure in central Beirut's Bashoura district early Wednesday, marking an expansion of strikes beyond Hezbollah's traditional strongholds. The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning at 04:00 local time (03:00 GMT), claiming the target was a Hezbollah-affiliated facility. No casualties have been reported, though the blast shattered the early morning calm near hotels and commercial areas.
Escalation beyond southern Beirut
Since hostilities erupted on March 2-when Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel in solidarity with Iran-Israeli forces have increasingly struck beyond the group's southern Beirut bastion of Dahieh. The Lebanese health ministry reports 912 deaths, including 111 children, with over one million displaced, primarily from the south, east, and southern suburbs.
Wednesday's strike reduced the targeted building to rubble, its collapse captured in video footage showing debris raining onto nearby streets. Smoke blanketed the area, and the acrid scent of burning lingered as emergency crews arrived. Bystanders, some shouting anti-Israel slogans, raised a poster of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah atop the wreckage, chanting his name.
Strikes widen with mixed warnings
Overnight airstrikes also hit the Zuqaq al Blat and Basta neighborhoods, killing 12 and wounding 27, according to officials. Unlike the Bashoura strike, no advance warnings preceded these attacks. Israel has justified the expanded campaign as an effort to dismantle Hezbollah's financial networks, including the Al Qard Al Hassan institution, which it labels a front for military funding.
Hotels in central Beirut have been struck at least twice, with Israel accused of targeting Hezbollah figures or Iranian allies. Civilian casualties have mounted, including 12 killed in a "double-tap" airstrike near the Corniche seafront last week. Many victims were displaced families sheltering in tents.
Conflict origins and regional fallout
The Lebanon conflict began after Iran retaliated against Israeli and U.S. strikes on February 28, drawing Hezbollah into the fray two days later. Israel now says its operations aim to cripple Hezbollah's infrastructure, including businesses and banks it alleges support the group's military wing.
"Supplies have stabilized, but the destruction resembles Gaza," said one Dahieh resident, describing relentless bombardment in the southern suburbs.
With strikes now reaching central Beirut, residents face unpredictable threats-some preceded by warnings, others executed without notice.
