18 dead, including four children, after Israeli strike near Beirut hospital

At least 18 people were killed, including four children, and 60 were injured in an Israeli strike on Monday near Beirut’s main government hospital, according to the health ministry on Tuesday.

Israeli jets targeted a Hezbollah site close to the Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut but clarified that the hospital itself was not the target and remained unaffected by the strike, as stated by the Israeli military on Tuesday.

However, the hospital’s director, Jihad Saadeh, reported that debris from the Israeli attack, likely from heavy ammunition, caused damage to the medical facility. While there were no casualties among the staff, efforts to rescue individuals outside the hospital were ongoing, he added.