Beirut in ruins after deadly Israeli strike leaves 16 dead

Images show debris-strewn buildings after an Israeli strike on the outskirts of southern Beirut, Lebanon, on Saturday, 7 March 2026. The damage from the strike on Friday night local time came amid an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel in the context of the United States–Israel–Iran conflict. According to Reuters, the Lebanese Health Ministry said at least 16 people were killed in the air strike on Nabi Chit, eastern Lebanon, with 35 others wounded. The strike is among the deadliest Israeli bombings since the fighting resumed this week. The Health Ministry warned the death toll could rise. Overall, more than 200 people have been killed since Israel launched large-scale air campaigns in the southern Beirut region controlled by Hezbollah and more broadly in Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s firing into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader.