Israeli Airstrike Levels Building in Beirut Amid Escalation With Hezbollah

An Israeli airstrike reduced a building in Beirut to fiery rubble on Friday, intensifying the already volatile situation in the region.

The strike comes amid revelations that Israel reportedly destroyed an active top-secret Iranian nuclear weapons research facility during last month’s retaliatory strikes on Iran.

Smoke and flames erupt from a building hit in an Israeli airstrike. AP

The latest attack targeted a high-rise building near Tayouneh, one of Beirut’s busiest traffic junctions, shaking the Lebanese capital as Israel continued its bombardment of Hezbollah-controlled areas. Dramatic images and videos showed the building collapsing into a cloud of flames and debris.

Onlookers watch as smoke from an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern Ghobeiry neighbourhood billows on November 15, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

Before the strike, the Israeli military issued warnings on social media, urging residents in southern Beirut to evacuate buildings near Hezbollah facilities. This marked another day of heavy airstrikes in Israel’s ongoing campaign against the Iran-backed militant group.

Rescue Efforts After Baalbek Strike

Elsewhere in Lebanon, rescue teams scrambled to locate missing persons in Baalbek, in the eastern part of the country, after an Israeli strike hit a civil defence centre late Thursday. At least 13 people, including employees and volunteers of the Lebanese Civil Defense, were killed, according to the emergency agency.

An Israeli strike destroys a building in the Tayouneh neighbourhood in Beirut, Lebanon, on November 15, 2024. REUTERS

The Baalbek attack highlighted the growing civilian toll as Israel escalated its military campaign against Hezbollah.

Iranian Nuclear Facility Destroyed

The strikes coincided with reports from Axios revealing that Israel’s recent military actions included targeting an active Iranian nuclear weapons research facility.

The attack, carried out last month, destroyed a site in Parchin believed to be inactive but allegedly housing advanced equipment for designing plastic explosives critical for detonating nuclear devices.

People inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike in the Tayouneh neighbourhood of Dahieh district. WAEL HAMZAH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

According to US and Israeli officials, the operation obliterated sophisticated machinery pivotal to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The facility’s destruction underscores the broader stakes in Israel’s military efforts across the region.

Rubble is all that remains of the building, decimated by Israel. WAEL HAMZAH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

As tensions rise, the strikes in Beirut and beyond reflect the increasing intensity of Israel’s confrontation with Hezbollah and its broader strategy against Iranian influence in the Middle East.