An Israeli airstrike destroyed a highrise building in central Beirut on Wednesday morning in a district near the Lebanese government headquarters.
Images showed an explosion at the base of the tower block before the entire building collapses in a cloud of dust and debris.
Approximately an hour and a half before the attack, Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesman posted a map identifying the building and told nearby residents to leave the area immediately, warning the building was being used by Hezbollah and the military would be targeting it.
In the hours after the strike rescuers scrambled over a large pile of rubble and twisted metal where the building had stood, digging through the debris and extinguishing fires.
Israel has ramped up airstrikes across Lebanon in recent days, issuing extensive evacuation orders across the country. Over 1 million people have been displaced since the most recent conflict began with many families sleeping outside or in makeshift accommodations on the streets of Beirut.
