Israel bombs central Beirut, killing 6, strafes south, east Lebanon

Wave of Israeli air attacks launched as ground offensive widens in south where Hezbollah are fighting Israeli forces.Israel has attacked a building in Bashoura, a neighbourhood in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, with a blast and smoke rising over the area shortly after Israel issued an evacuation threat for the site.The attack was part of a deadly wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon that killed at least 20 people and wounded 24 on Wednesday, according to the country’s Ministry of Public Health, with raids stretching from the capital through southern and eastern parts of the country, a devastating front in the wider United States-Israel war against Iran embroiling the region.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2Israeli attacks on Lebanon may amount to war crimes, UN rights office sayslist 2 of 2Video: What we know about Israel’s assault on southern Lebanonend of listAt least six people were killed in the air strikes in Beirut, with dozens injured.Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Beirut, Zeina Khodr, reported that intense Israeli attacks hit multiple regions across Lebanon, including central Beirut, overnight.Speaking from in front of a 15-storey building struck in one of the attacks, Khodr said its lower floors had been targeted a week earlier. In the early hours, however, the structure was completely demolished, with the Israeli army claiming Hezbollah had stored cash there.“You can see the widespread damage across this whole neighbourhood,” Khodr said.Israel’s military said it had launched what it described as limited ground operations in southern Lebanon, issuing evacuation threats for residents of four towns near the Zahrani River and the Tyre area, warning them to head north immediately.Lebanon’s NNA also reported strikes on Tyre and the nearby area of Al-Burj Al-Shamali in the pre-dawn hours.