4 killed, 18 injured in Israeli strike on central Beirut: Health Ministry

At least four people were killed and 18 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on the Zuqaq al-Blat area in central Beirut, Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported.

The attack marked the third Israeli bombing in Beirut's heart within 24 hours, following strikes on the Ras Al Naba'a and Mar Elias neighborhoods.

A ministry statement confirmed the casualties, noting that the strike's initial toll included four fatalities and 18 injuries.

Earlier, Lebanon's official news agency reported that the airstrike on Zuqaq al-Blat district resulted in multiple casualties, though further details on the specific location of the attack, such as whether it targeted a home or another building, were not provided.

Zuqaq al-Blat is located just 500 meters from Lebanon's government and parliament buildings.

On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes hit a building in the Ras Al Naba'a area of Beirut, followed by another targeting the Mar Elias district, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

Israel launched an air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are targets of the Hezbollah group in late September, in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare over Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

More than 3,500 people have been killed, nearly 15,000 injured and more than 1 million displaced by Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1 this year.