Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut
Beirut, Mar 11: An Israeli airstrike struck a hotel in the Raouche neighbourhood of central Beirut in Lebanon early Monday, marking the first time in the current conflict that the city’s central coastal district has been targeted.
The strike hit the fourth floor of the Ramada Plaza Beirut Raouche at around 1.30 am, triggering panic among residents and displaced families staying in the area. Witnesses said the explosion shattered windows and sent people rushing for cover.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least four people were killed and 10 others injured in the attack, though the identities of those killed were not immediately confirmed.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike targeted members of Iran’s elite Quds Force, the overseas operations wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It claimed the men killed included a senior financier responsible for transferring funds to Hezbollah and intelligence commanders operating in Lebanon.
However, Iran rejected the allegations. In a letter sent by its mission to the United Nations, Tehran accused Israel of carrying out what it called the “cowardly terrorist assassination” of four Iranian diplomats.
Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said those killed included diplomatic staff serving at the Iranian embassy in Beirut and condemned the attack as a serious violation of international law.
The strike occurred amid intensifying hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hundreds of Israeli strikes have been reported across the country in recent days, particularly in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut, which are considered strongholds of Hezbollah and the Shia Muslim community.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 700,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced since the latest escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Residents in Raouche said the attack spread fear in the normally busy coastal district, which is known for its restaurants, hotels and seaside promenade. Many hotels in the area are currently housing families displaced by Israeli evacuation warnings issued in other parts of the country.
Witnesses said the blast shook nearby buildings and sent shards of glass across the street. Some bystanders were injured by flying debris, while displaced families staying in the hotel fled down emergency staircases after smoke filled parts of the building.
Israeli officials said the operation was carried out using naval forces based on “precise intelligence” that senior Quds Force officials were staying in the hotel.
Iran and Hezbollah have not confirmed the identities of those targeted, while Lebanese authorities continue to investigate the incident.