Israel strikes neighborhood in central Beirut, 22 killed

BEIRUT, Lebanon , Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Israeli air strikes hit two neighborhoods in central Beirut on Thursday night, reportedly targeting at least on Hezbollah official and killing 22 people and wounding 117 others, according to witnesses and Lebanese Health Ministry.

This was the most severe Israeli attack on Beirut since it started to hit the city on Sept. 30.

The strikes hit a building in the densely populated Noueiri residential area and another in the nearby Basta quarter, where a great number of displaced people sought refuge after they were forced to evacuate their villages in south Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, Hezbollah's main stronghold.

Witnesses said a large explosion was heard across Beirut, and ambulances rushed to the targeted areas to evacuate the casualties.

The strikes caused considerable material damage, with one of the targeted building destroyed. Civil Defense forces were trying to evacuate residents stuck in the other building that was hit.

Israeli reports said Wafic Safa, a senior Hezbollah security official was targeted in one of the strikes. Other Hezbollah officials were feared to have been also targeted. There has been no confirmation so far by Hezbollah or Lebanese sources.

In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Safa, the head of Hezbollah's Liaison and Coordination Unit, as well as two of the group's parliamentarians, Mohamed Raad and Amin Shirri, for supporting Iran.

The fresh strikes were the third targeting Beirut within the past few weeks.