A viral video has surfaced on social media showing a Beirut building collapsing within seconds after being hit by an Israeli missile strike. The footage captures the devastating moment when the missile flattens the structure in southern Beirut. According to the Associated Press (AP), the building was situated in a heavily populated area near a large park that had become a temporary shelter for displaced families from across Lebanon.
The video begins with a quiet neighborhood before a sudden explosion brings the building down in a cloud of smoke. The scene grows more intense as a second angle of the strike is shown, with the sound of the collapsing Beirut building adding to the drama. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the target contained “Hezbollah facilities.” In addition to this building, the IDF also hit a location near Rafik Hariri University Hospital.
Extraordinary footage as Israeli airstrike reduces 10 storey Beirut building to rubble. 20 homes destroyed: pic.twitter.com/TCforzYvtk
— PalMedia (@PalBint) October 22, 2024
An eyewitness, a photojournalist from Al Jazeera, explained that they heard the missile’s approach and began filming as it struck. Roughly 40 minutes before the attack, an Israeli military spokesperson had issued a warning in Arabic on social media, advising residents near the buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate. As a result, many people fled the area, with only a few journalists remaining on-site to document the strike. Thankfully, no casualties were reported. Additionally, after the initial missile strike, two smaller projectiles were fired at the roof, which AP noted is a common practice in warning strikes carried out by Israel in Gaza.
