Beirut: Israeli bombings in central Beirut have killed at least 20 people, according to officials, as the once-rare raids on Lebanon’s capital continue without notice and diplomats try to mediate a ceasefire. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 66 persons were injured in the strikes on Saturday, the fourth in central Beirut in less than a week.

The escalation comes as US envoy Amos Hochstein visited the region in search of a settlement to end months of warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which has escalated into a full-fledged conflict. According to the Health Ministry of Lebanon, Israeli attacks have killed over 3500 civilians in the country. The violence has displaced approximately 1.2 million people, or one-quarter of Lebanon’s population. On the Israeli side, around 90 soldiers and roughly 50 civilians have been killed as a result of bombardment and combat in northern Israel.

Eight-story building reduced to rubble The 4 a.m. (1 p.m. AEDT) strikes demolished an eight-story building in central Beirut. Amin Shiri, a Hezbollah legislator, said no Hezbollah leaders were inside. The attack destroyed the facades of some surrounding buildings and crushed cars.

The neighbourhood is residential, with densely packed buildings and narrow alleys, making the situation difficult,” said Walid Al-Hashash, a first responder for the Lebanese Civil Defence.

The Israeli military did not comment on the casualties. In a separate attack on Saturday, a drone strike killed two people and injured three in Tyre, a southern Lebanese port city, according to the state-run National News Agency. Mohammed Bikai, a spokesperson for the Fatah Palestinian movement in Tyre, said those slain were Palestinian refugees from the adjacent al-Rashidieh camp who were fishing.

Despite Israel’s army’s advice last month to avoid Lebanon’s southern coast, “you can’t tell someone who needs to eat that you can’t fish,” Bikai stated.

According to the Health Ministry, other airstrikes killed eight people, including four children, in the eastern town of Shmustar, five in the southern village of Roumin, and five more in the north-eastern village of Budai. Points of contention during the ceasefire Two Western diplomats highlighted disagreements between Israel and Lebanon during cease-fire talks. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss the conversations.

The present proposal asks for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces will withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah will suspend its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Thousands of Lebanese army forces would police the border area alongside UN peacekeepers, while an international committee would oversee the agreement’s implementation.

The authorities stated that Israel needed greater assurances that Hezbollah’s weaponry had been withdrawn from the border area. Israeli officials have stated that they would not accept a deal that did not explicitly guarantee them the right to strike in Lebanon if they believed Hezbollah was violating it. Lebanese officials have stated that the introduction of such a phrase would violate their country’s sovereignty. Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem has stated that the militant group will not agree to an agreement that does not include a “complete and comprehensive end to the aggression”. Lebanon and Israel also disagree on which nations would serve on the monitoring group.

More fatal attacks in Gaza. The Health Ministry reported at least 80 deaths in northern Gaza on Thursday and Friday, including near the Kamal Adwan and Al-Ahli hospitals. Dozens of individuals were trapped beneath the rubble. Israel’s army claimed it was unaware of an attack near Kamal Adwan and declined to answer questions from the Associated Press.

At least six persons were killed on Saturday in the southern city of Khan Younis, including three children and two women, according to Nasser Hospital workers. “Suddenly, we woke up to dust, smoke, and a fire,” said Ahmad Ghassan, a devastated father. “We found [my son] dead and his brother injured.” Another parent wailed as he carried his child’s body in a bloodied sheet. Al-Awda Hospital reported receiving six bodies after Israel shelled a house north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Palestinian death toll from the 13-month-long war has topped 44,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. According to reports, women and children account for more than half of the dead. The Israeli military claims to have killed more than 17,000 militants without giving evidence. The battle began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants assaulted southern Israel, murdering 1200 people and kidnapping another 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, with at least one-third suspected to be dead.