At around 2:00 pm on Wednesday, a wave of Israeli strikes struck multiple Beirut districts, including Corniche al-Mazraa and Basta, leaving a busy artery in ruins. The Lebanese health ministry reported a preliminary toll of dozens dead and hundreds wounded, while hospitals, notably the American University of Beirut Medical Center, were overwhelmed and called for blood donations. Authorities urged residents to keep roads clear for ambulances as rescue teams worked amid smouldering rubble. Israel said it had carried out its largest coordinated strike across Lebanon since March 2 and stated the Iran–US truce did not include Lebanon.
Major Israeli Strikes Turn Busy Beirut Artery Into Scene Of Devastation
First responders stand amid rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut (-)(-/AFP/AFP)
Buildings Ablaze and Streets In Ruins After Heavy Strikes in Beirut
At about 2:00 pm local time on Wednesday, a series of Israeli strikes hit multiple districts of Beirut — including Corniche al-Mazraa and the working-class Basta neighbourhood — turning one of the capital's busiest arteries into a scene of devastation.
Witnesses described sudden blasts, thick black smoke and panicked crowds. "People started running left and right, and smoke was billowing," said Ali Younes, who had been waiting for his wife near Corniche al-Mazraa. An AFP reporter at the scene described a building blown apart and the pervasive smell of gunpowder.
Firefighters and rescue teams worked amid smouldering rubble to extinguish fires and pull victims from debris while bulldozers tried to clear blocked roads. The Lebanese health ministry gave a preliminary toll of dozens dead and hundreds wounded after what the Israeli army described as its "largest coordinated strike across Lebanon" since March 2.
The health ministry urged residents to keep routes clear for ambulances, warning that heavy traffic and the unprecedented number and intensity of strikes were hampering rescue operations. Outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center, ambulances arrived in a steady stream as relatives waited anxiously; the hospital publicly called for donations of all blood types.
Human Cost and Wider Context
Residents in affected neighbourhoods reported civilian casualties, including children. "I saw the blast, it was very strong and there were children killed," said Yasser Abdallah, who works in a nearby appliance store. Strikes also hit suburbs known as Hezbollah strongholds; Israel said a recent Iran–US truce did not cover Lebanon.
Rescue efforts continued into the evening as authorities worked to account for the dead and injured and to restore access to devastated areas. Emergency services and hospitals remained under severe strain as the capital coped with the immediate humanitarian fallout.
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