Beirut building collapses amid fresh Israeli strikes in capital city's centre

AFP / France 24
by FRANCE24
March 18, 2026
3 min read

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Israeli strikes collapsed a building in central Beirut, killing at least 12 in the most intense bombardment of Lebanon's capital since the March 2 offensive began.

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Israeli strikes on central Beirut brought down a building and killed at least a dozen people in what officials described as among the most intense bombardments of Lebanon's capital since the offensive began March 2. The attack pushed the death toll from the broader campaign to at least 900 since early March. The strikes targeted the heart of Beirut, a departure from earlier phases of the conflict that had focused more heavily on southern suburbs. The escalation signals an intensification of Israel's military operations in Lebanon's most densely populated urban center. Civilian casualties and infrastructure damage in the capital could further destabilize the region and complicate any diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict.

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