Israeli strike on central Beirut marks further escalation of war on Lebanon

Israeli military carries out an air raid on target in the heart of the Lebanese capital for first time in years.

Lebanon has suffered another bloody 24 hours as relentless Israeli bombardment killed at least 105 people and injured 359 others, according to health officials.

Air attacks were reported across Lebanon on Sunday and overnight into Monday. The targets included a hit in the heart of the capital Beirut for the first time in years, signalling yet further potential escalation towards all-out war.

While Israel said it had attacked dozens of Hezbollah targets, Lebanese officials said the bombardments struck homes and buildings in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel governorate and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Lebanese politicians described the assaults as a “massacre”.

In the early hours of Monday, local media outlets reported an Israeli air strike in the Kola bridge area in the heart of the city. The bombing is Israel’s first attack within the city limits since the start of the hostilities last year and will likely be seen as another escalation of the conflict.