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Israel Launches Intense Strikes Across Lebanon, Central Beirut Hit, Over 20 Killed
Deadly Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut and southern Lebanon, killing 20+ and injuring dozens. Bridges destroyed, thousands displaced amid escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict.
ND
by News Desk
2026-03-18
Israel Launches Intense Strikes Across Lebanon, Central Beirut Hit, Over 20 Killed

Israel has launched a deadly wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, including central Beirut, southern, and eastern regions, killing over 20 people and injuring dozens, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and the National News Agency (NNA).

In Beirut’s Bashoura neighborhood, a 15-storey building was struck after residents received forced evacuation orders. The Israeli military claimed the site housed Hezbollah cash reserves, while Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV reported that its director of political programmes, Mohammad Shari, and his wife were killed in the strike. Their children and grandchildren were wounded.

Security analysts suggest Israel is attempting to pressure the Lebanese government and population against Hezbollah, dropping leaflets in Western Beirut urging civilians to act against the Iran-aligned group.

The attacks extended to southern Lebanon, including Tyre, Burj Shemali, and Sidon, where airstrikes killed at least three people, including a paramedic. Bridges over the Litani River were destroyed to prevent Hezbollah from moving fighters and weapons, according to Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz.

In eastern Lebanon, strikes in Ras al-Ain (Baalbek) and Sahmar (Bekaa Valley) killed at least eight people and injured several others. The conflict, triggered on February 28 following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has intensified into one of the deadliest confrontations in the region.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israel has killed 968 people and injured 2,432 since the conflict began, forcing over one million people from their homes. The UN has warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure may constitute war crimes under international law.

Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Naim Qassem, laid out conditions to end the war, demanding a halt to Israeli attacks, return of displaced people, release of detainees, and withdrawal of Israeli forces.

European powers have expressed concern. France’s special envoy emphasized that Lebanon cannot disarm Hezbollah while under bombardment, urging negotiations to resolve the crisis. Spain condemned Israel’s evacuation orders in southern Lebanon, calling for restraint and respect for international humanitarian law. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that Israel’s ground offensive risks worsening the humanitarian situation.

As the conflict escalates, Lebanon braces for further destruction, displacement, and regional instability, while international calls for diplomacy grow louder.
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