Watch the moment Israeli strike hits building in Beirut's Chiyah: Video
Lebanon's health ministry reported on Tuesday, October 22 that 13 people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli strike near Rafic Hariri Hospital in south Beirut.
The attack occurred late Monday, October 21 and left another 57 people injured, according to the ministry.
The director confirmed that the Rafic Hariri facility, the largest public hospital in Lebanon, sustained minor damage, with shattered windows and destroyed solar panels.
Nearby, four buildings were reportedly flattened, and rescuers continued to search for survivors on Tuesday, October 22 raising fears that the death toll could increase. An AFP correspondent at the scene reported hearing a cell phone ringing beneath the rubble.
Resident Ola Eid described the horror from her balcony, recalling how she watched the bombing unfold. "The children were playing in the courtyard... Before they could even catch the candy I tossed them, the first strike hit, then a second. I saw the children ripped apart," she said.
The strikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs following evacuation warnings, marking the first hit on the Ouzai neighbourhood during the ongoing conflict. The area around Rafic Hariri Hospital, which has seen an influx of displaced individuals, did not receive an evacuation warning.
Nearly a month into the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, at least 1,489 people in Lebanon have died, according to an AFP tally, with over a million others displaced.
