Four people, including a child, have been killed in an Israeli air strike near the Rafik Hariri University Hospital in southern Beirut, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The strike, which targeted the hospital’s car park, also left 24 others injured.
This was one of 13 Israeli air strikes on Monday evening in southern Beirut, where the Israeli military claimed to be targeting Hezbollah-linked facilities. Earlier, Israel had issued warnings for residents to evacuate certain areas, but Rafik Hariri University Hospital was not listed as a target.
Residents of the Dahiyeh neighborhood, where strikes were anticipated, were seen fleeing in vehicles and on foot as the attacks began. One of the Israeli targets was located about 400 meters from Beirut’s international airport, which sustained some damage. Windows at an airport building were shattered by the blast.
In a separate development, the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of operating a concealed bunker beneath Sahel Hospital in Haret Hreik, containing millions in cash and gold to fund attacks. The hospital director denied these claims, calling for an investigation by the Lebanese army.
Israel appears to be broadening its military campaign beyond Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, also targeting financial networks, including strikes on branches of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH), which Israel and the US believe funds Hezbollah’s activities.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has continued launching rockets into northern Israel, with over 170 projectiles crossing the border by late Monday. The escalating conflict has resulted in more than 2,400 deaths in Lebanon since October, as Hezbollah supports Hamas in the ongoing Gaza war.
US President Joe Biden’s envoy to the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, arrived in Beirut on Monday, seeking a negotiated end to the conflict. However, with both sides intensifying their efforts, a ceasefire remains uncertain.