At least four people were killed and 18 others were injured in an Israeli strike on central Beirut, the Lebanese caretaker health ministry said on Monday.
The strike late on Monday hit a densely populated residential area in Lebanon's capital close to the UN headquarters, Parliament, the prime minister’s office and several embassies.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said two missiles hit the area of Zoqaq al-Blat neighborhood of Beirut. The strike comes following reports that the US envoy has delayed his visit for ceasefire talks.
Ambulance sirens echoed through the area and a reporter with The Associated Press at the scene described significant casualties on the street.
The target of the airstrike remains unclear, and the Israeli army did not issue a prior warning.
Many areas in central Beirut, including Zoqaq al-Blat, became a refuge for many displaced by the ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. The strike also occurred near a Hussainiya, a Shiite mosque.
It was the second consecutive day of Israeli strikes on central Beirut after more than a month-long pause.
On Sunday, a strike in the area of Ras al-Nabaa killed Hezbollah media spokesperson Mohammed Afif, along with six other people, including a woman.
Later that day, four people were killed in a separate strike in the commercial district of Mar Elias. Reports said it targeted leader of Hezbollah’s southern operations Mahmoud Madi.
Israeli media did not have immediate comment.
