Medical Center Hit Amid Ongoing Clashes with Hezbollah

On October 3, 2024, Israeli airstrikes targeted a medical center in central Beirut, killing at least nine people. The attack, which occurred in the Bachoura district, was part of escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with the latter backed by Iran. Residents in the area reported hearing the sound of a missile before the explosion, followed by fires and a quick exodus from nearby areas.

The strike on the medical center, operated by the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Organisation, marks the second airstrike on central Beirut in the past week, after a series of strikes had primarily affected the southern suburbs. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed they were targeting specific locations in Beirut and issued evacuation warnings throughout the night. In addition to the fatalities, at least 46 people had died in prior attacks on the city within the last 24 hours.

The Israeli military claimed the attack was “precise,” while a Hezbollah-linked civil defense group reported the deaths of seven of its staff members, including two medics. These incidents follow a significant escalation of violence on the Lebanese front, with Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, being killed in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh just days earlier.