Israeli Airstrike Destroys Beirut Building Amid Escalating Conflict with Hezbollah
An Israeli airstrike on Friday leveled a building in Beirut, causing a fiery explosion that sent a cloud of rubble into the air. The attack took place near one of the Lebanese capital’s busiest intersections, intensifying Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Hezbollah-controlled areas throughout the city.
The strike near the Tayouneh district was one of several Israeli airstrikes launched that morning. Dramatic photos and videos from the scene captured the high-rise building engulfed in flames. Before the attacks, the Israeli military had warned residents in southern Beirut to evacuate buildings identified as being near Hezbollah facilities.
In the aftermath of the blast, rescue teams were dispatched to search for missing individuals in Baalbek, a city in eastern Lebanon. The previous night, Israeli airstrikes hit a civil defense center, killing at least 13 people, including employees and volunteers of the Lebanese Civil Defense, according to the agency.
These airstrikes are part of Israel’s escalating military actions against Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, as tensions continue to rise in the region.
In a related development, it was revealed that last month’s Israeli strikes on Iran also included the destruction of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons research facility. According to multiple U.S. and Israeli officials cited by Axios, the strike targeted the Parchin facility, which had been previously believed to be inactive. The strike reportedly destroyed “sophisticated equipment used to design the plastic explosives that surround uranium in a nuclear device and are necessary for detonation.”
While Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, the Israeli attack on the Parchin base last month significantly damaged Tehran’s year-long efforts to resume its nuclear research, the officials said. The Parchin base, one of two secret Iranian military sites targeted in the Oct. 25 strike, was heavily damaged, with aerial images showing the destruction of an entire building.
Israel has stated that the facilities were targeted because they were allegedly involved in the production of missiles used in attacks against Israel earlier this year. As tensions between Israel and Iran continue to grow, these airstrikes mark a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
