At least one person has died in the early hours of Saturday after an airstrike carried out by the Israeli military struck Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense. Witnesses described a scene of fractured concrete and rising smoke in a neighborhood near central Beirut, with the blast shattering windows and sending tremors through the streets. Rescue crews arrived quickly, maneuvering through narrow lanes littered with debris as teams from the Civil Defense and local volunteers established makeshift triage zones and began sifting through rubble in a bid to locate survivors beneath the wreckage. Firefighters battled flames that spread through several floors of damaged buildings while ambulances ferried the wounded to nearby clinics and hospitals that were mobilized to handle a surge of patients. Local residents stood nearby, many clutching blankets for children and essentials for relatives, as officials urged those near the affected zone to stay clear of danger. The initial casualty figure underscores the human cost of a sudden aerial strike in a city long accustomed to tension and uncertainty, where families already live with the heavy weight of ongoing conflict.
Authorities later confirmed that 23 people were injured in the attack, which hit Beirut’s city center, with rescue teams pressing ahead through the night. Heavy equipment, search dogs, and personnel worked to locate anyone trapped under collapsed walls and blown-out floors, while medical staff treated a mix of burns, fractures, lacerations, and other injuries. Makeshift triage areas operated in open spaces near hospitals, and corridors of portable lighting and emergency vehicles illuminated the scene as teams moved between collapsed sections of the damaged structures. Hospitals activated their emergency protocols, disgorging resources and prioritizing the most seriously injured. Families gathered outside facilities, awaiting updates about relatives as officials coordinated between the Civil Defense, security forces, and medical staff to keep routes open for ambulances and aid convoys. The scale of the disaster meant that casualty numbers could rise as operations continued and more areas were searched for survivors.
Among the primary targets described was an eight-story residential building, with several adjacent properties sustaining damage as well. The National News Agency of Lebanon reported that the eight-story structure sits in a dense urban block housing hundreds of residents who depend on nearby shops, schools, and services. The blast sent a plume of dust and smoke into the sky, transforming streets into chaotic channels of debris and forcing neighbors to seek shelter in basements or stairwells. Families who had just returned home from work or school found their homes shattered, with belongings crushed and walls cracked. In the hours after the strike, authorities established a temporary relief zone offering cots, basic supplies, and medical care to those displaced by the devastation. The damage to surrounding apartments and small businesses reverberated through a neighborhood reliant on local markets and transit access, while residents awaited updates from rescue crews and hoped for the return of routine life as crews cleared paths for aid and searched for survivors.
Las autoridades estiman que más de 3,600 personas han muerto y otras 15,300 han resultado heridas en ataques israelíes durante el último año, una cifra que señala el alcance de la violencia reciente y que se ha recrudecido desde la incursión iniciada por el Ejército de Israel el pasado 1 de octubre. El balance parcial de víctimas se ha convertido en una cifra que impulsa llamados a mayor apoyo humanitario y a una mayor protección de civiles mientras las condiciones en Beirut y en la región se vuelven cada vez más frágiles. Las autoridades insistieron en que las operaciones de rescate y la entrega de ayuda humanitaria deben continuar con rutas seguras y coordinación entre las víctimas, hospitales y servicios de emergencia, a fin de evitar nuevos daños y salvar más vidas.
El repunte de las hostilidades se enmarca en los enfrentamientos iniciados hace más de un año, después de que Hezbolá atacara territorio israelí tras los ataques perpetrados el 7 de octubre de 2023, lo que llevó al Ejército de Israel a desatar una ofensiva contra la Franja de Gaza, donde han muerto ya más de 44.000 personas. Además, más de 790 palestinos han muerto en Cisjordania y Jerusalén Este. En Beirut y otras ciudades, personas de a pie quedan atrapadas entre el ruido de las explosiones y la necesidad de reconstruir sus vidas, mientras que la comunidad internacional llama a la contención y a facilitar la entrega de ayuda para quienes quedan aislados por el conflicto.