Lebanese police say an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut killed at least 11 people and injured scores more.
As part of a military escalation against the Lebanese militant organisation Hezbollah, Israel struck an eight-story skyscraper in Beirut overnight.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the Israeli strike severely damaged the Basta neighborhood and reduced the residential building to rubble.
There was no senior Hezbollah member in the building that was destroyed, according to Lebanese officials.
They added that at least 63 other people were injured in the strike. Rescuers are searching for survivors under the debris.
Lebanese officials accused Israel of employing bunker-penetrating bombs to hit underground targets.
These weapons were previously used to target senior Hezbollah figures, including then leader Hassan Nasrallah who was killed in September.
Israel’s latest strike in Beirut comes just after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest order for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Judges in The Hague find Israeli government officials accountable for using “starvation as a method of warfare” and “intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”
Despite efforts by US envoy Amos Hochstein to mediate a cease-fire arrangement during a visit to the region this week, Israel is continuing to escalate its military operations.
