BEIRUT — At least 18 people were killed and 92 others injured on Thursday evening in an Israeli airstrike targeting al-Noueiri, a densely populated area in central Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry updated.
The airstrike inflicted significant damage in the region, instilling fear among residents and prompting many to evacuate their homes, local TV channel Al Jadeed reported.
Ambulances rushed to the scene to transport victims to hospitals, while civil defense teams worked to extinguish the fires caused by the explosion.
Hospitals in Beirut are calling on people to donate blood of all types.
Israeli media reported that Wafiq Safa, head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, was targeted in the airstrike, while Al Jazeera TV channel said Safa had survived the attack.
This is the third time that Israel has targeted Lebanon’s capital Beirut, after it attacked the al Cola and al-Bachoura areas.
XINHUA
