A devastating Israeli airstrike has leveled the densely populated Basta Fawqa neighborhood of central Beirut, leaving at least 29 people dead, including several children, in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on the Lebanese capital in the past year. As rescue efforts continue, residents are grappling with the loss of friends, and family, and the destruction of their community.

A Neighborhood in Mourning

Lebanese seamstress Laila Amayrad walked among the ruins of her once-familiar neighborhood, now a scene of devastation in the aftermath of Saturday’s pre-dawn strike. Bulldozers sifted through the rubble of an eight-story building that was flattened. Tears streamed down Amayrad’s face as she recalled the nine friends, neighbors, and clients many of whom had fled to Basta Fawqa seeking refuge from ongoing shelling in southern Lebanon.

“They came here to be safe because this neighborhood was supposed to be safe,” said Amayrad, a longtime resident. “There were no weapons, no fighters here. They were just sleeping in their homes when the bombs fell—no warning, no chance to escape.”

No Evacuation Warnings Issued

Israeli authorities have not commented on the details of the attack, which it described in statements as hitting Hezbollah strongholds. Traditionally, Israel issues evacuation warnings in towns and villages it aims to attack to minimize civilian casualties, which did not happen in the case of the Basta Fawqa strike. According to a Lebanese security source, the attack used a bunker-busting bomb; on the other hand, residents reject the presence of any bunker and military group in the building.”.

The strike happens at a time when Israeli attacks on Lebanon are getting severe, with attacks in the form of bombardment increasing since September alone. More than 3,750 people have died due to bombings in the past year alone, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Amayrad’s sense of safety in the neighborhood is destroyed, and she sarcastically comments, “It might even be safer in the southern suburb of Beirut—the Hezbollah stronghold—at least they get a warning there.”

Rescue Efforts Reveal Destruction

While rescue workers continued digging through the wreckage with little hope of finding more survivors, more than 48 hours after the strike, civil defense teams remained at the scene on Monday afternoon, painstakingly searching through the rubble. “I was going through the rubble and came across a severed head,” Hassan Yassin, the head of the rescue unit, said in a description of the horrifying scene.

Jaafar, 18 years of age, is one of the rescuers. He spoke about the gruesome discoveries made over the weekend: “We found body parts scattered—legs here, hands there. Yesterday, we pulled out the bodies of three children. An elderly couple, both in wheelchairs, were found dead. This has been the most horrific scene I’ve encountered.” A Year of Escalating Violence

But there was another airstrike on Basta Fawqa just last week, in which another building central to Beirut was bombed without any warning; at least 22 people had been killed. Weeks of unannounced bombings have fueled fear and anger in residents who feel increasingly powerless and vulnerable.

Escalation in hostilities started more than a year ago; however, Israel has become more intensive as far as airstrikes are concerned since September. Even though Hezbollah has remained a primary target, civilian areas are not spared in the attacks: such an attack can easily catch Lebanese families in the crossfire.

Toll on Innocent Lives

The Basta Fawqa neighborhood, once considered a haven in Beirut, is now a symbol of the indiscriminate devastation faced by civilians amidst the ongoing conflict. As rescue workers continue their grim search, the community mourns its losses and questions the lack of protection for non-combatants.

As the cycle of violence continues, Lebanese civilians bear the brunt, with the promise of safety and normalcy remaining elusive.