The number of martyrs from the Israeli occupation's massacre in the al-Basta area of Beirut has risen to 20, with 66 others injured, according to an initial report from Lebanon's Ministry of Health. Rescue operations continue as the toll may rise further.

Earlier, the Lebanese Health Ministry had underscored that "The final death toll will be determined after DNA tests are carried out."

The attack in the Lebanese capital was followed by additional strikes in the Southern Suburb of the city following threats issued by the Israeli occupation military.

In al-Basta, rescue efforts were ongoing, with an excavator clearing the rubble of the building while a fire truck and civil defense teams were stationed nearby to assist.

An Israeli airstrike early this morning targeted an 8-story residential building in the area, leveling it to the ground.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent described the attack as a massacre, noting that surrounding buildings also sustained significant damage.

The explosions from the strike were heard across a wide area, with reports indicating that the sound reached as far as Mount Lebanon and even Saida. The blast was reportedly extremely loud, reverberating throughout Beirut.

The Lebanese Health Ministry has announced a preliminary toll of 20 martyrs and 66 wounded following an Israeli airstrike on Basta al-Fawqa, a densely populated area in #Beirut.

The airstrike, executed without prior warning, targeted an eight-story residential building, reducing… pic.twitter.com/FDwBkiJnHM

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 23, 2024

Meanwhile, in the south, 5 people were martyred and 19 others wounded due to an Israeli airstrike on the city of Tyre.

Moreover, the ongoing Israeli aggression targeted multiple towns in the south, causing numerous casualties and widespread destruction.

More than 32 martyrs, 37 injured in Israeli attacks on Bekaa

Israeli warplanes unleashed a series of intense airstrikes across eastern Lebanon on Saturday, resulting in a devastating toll on civilian lives and infrastructure. The attacks, targeting multiple towns in Baalbek District and surrounding areas, claimed the lives of at least 32 people and injured more than 37, with fears that the casualty numbers may rise.

Among the most harrowing aggression was an airstrike on a home in the town of Shmistar, where a mother and her four children were killed. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the death toll in Shmistar alone has reached 13, with another 13 injured and additional body parts recovered from the rubble.

Airstrikes in the nearby towns of Buday and Flaoui added to the death toll. Five people were killed and five injured in Buday, including two critically, while Flaoui witnessed four fatalities and three injuries. The town of Brital also reported one martyr from the strikes.

Additional raids in Talia and the outskirts of Hortaala, as well as the destruction of a historic house in Ras Al-Ain, have added to the scale of destruction. Ras Al-Ain also reported 18 injuries from subsequent airstrikes, while Hortaala recorded three.

Earlier in the day, Israeli jets struck the Al-Qaa-Joussieh border crossing near Hermel, escalating the aggression against civilians and critical infrastructure. In Zahle District, an airstrike on Harat Al-Fikani in Central Bekaa killed one person and injured three others.

Other targeted areas included the al-Asirah neighborhood in Baalbek, the plains of Addous, the road to Housh Tal Safiya, and the town of Drous.

In Sohmor, Western Bekaa, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center confirmed that an Israeli airstrike left two individuals wounded. The attacks have drawn widespread condemnation from officials and humanitarian groups, who describe them as massacres targeting civilians and an assault on Lebanon’s cultural and historical legacy.

Read more: No Hezbollah leaders targeted in Beirut strike: Exclusive