A Lebanese army soldier and people stand on rubble at a damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, Lebanon November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Emilie Madi

Deadly Israeli Strike Devastates Beirut Neighborhood

A devastating Israeli airstrike in central Beirut’s Basta Fawqa neighborhood has left at least 29 dead, including children, marking the deadliest attack on the city in the past year. Survivors and rescuers continue to search through the rubble as grief and anger mount over the loss of innocent lives.

The Aftermath of the Strike

The strike, which occurred just before dawn on Saturday, leveled an eight-story building in the densely populated neighborhood. Bulldozers and rescue workers have been combing through the ruins for over 48 hours, uncovering bodies and remains amidst the debris.

Laila Amayrad, a longtime resident and seamstress, stood amid the destruction, mourning the loss of nine friends, neighbors, and clients. Some of the victims had been hosting relatives displaced by ongoing shelling in southern Lebanon.

A Neighborhood Once Deemed Safe

Basta Fawqa, considered a relatively safe area in the Lebanese capital, had not been a site of significant military activity. Amayrad expressed her shock and grief over the targeting of civilians.

“They came here to be safe, because this neighborhood is safe. I would walk around alone at midnight because there are no weapons, no fighters, nothing here,” she said. “And they were killed just sleeping at home, with no warning. It’s the innocents who are losing their lives in this.”

No Warning Issued for the Strike

Israeli authorities have not commented on the Basta Fawqa strike. While Israel claims its airstrikes target the armed group Hezbollah and that evacuation warnings are typically issued beforehand, no such warning was provided for this attack.

Amayrad noted the irony that Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold frequently targeted by Israeli strikes, receive prior warnings, whereas her neighborhood did not.

Speculations About the Weapon Used

A Lebanese security source reported that the Nov. 23 strike likely involved a bunker-busting bomb. However, both Amayrad and another resident, Sherif Itani, confirmed the building contained no bunker.

This was not the first unannounced strike in the area. On Oct. 10, another building just two blocks away was hit, killing at least 22 people.

Grim Work for Rescuers

Rescue workers described the devastation as the worst they have seen in more than a year of escalating Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Hassan Yassin, head of the rescue team, described the grim task of recovering dismembered bodies from the rubble.

“We picked up a leg here, a hand there. We took out the bodies of three children yesterday. We found a dead older couple, both of them in wheelchairs,” said Jaafar, an 18-year-old rescuer. “It was the worst scene yet.”

Casualties from Israeli Strikes on the Rise

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, over 3,750 people have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past year, with the violence escalating sharply since September. Rescuers and residents fear the situation will only worsen as the conflict continues.