Israel carried out a devastating airstrike on an apartment inside the Ramada hotel building in central Beirut early Sunday, March 8, 2026. This Beirut hotel strike hit the bustling Raouche district, marking the first time Israeli drones and forces have attacked the heart of the Lebanese capital since hostilities reignited last week. The powerful blast sparked a massive fire and sent thick smoke billowing over the city overnight.
Casualties at the Ramada Hotel
Lebanese health authorities reported that the strike killed at least four individuals and wounded about ten others. Initial reports from a security source indicated at least two deaths, but the Lebanese health ministry and other officials later confirmed the death toll had risen to four. The hotel was heavily crowded with displaced civilians who had fled ongoing violence in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
In total, fresh airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 12 people across the country, including eight individuals in southern Lebanon and the four victims in central Beirut.
Israeli Military Targets Iranian Commanders
The Israel Defense Forces claimed responsibility for the attack on the hotel. Israeli military officials stated that the airstrike specifically targeted commanders of the Quds Force, the overseas branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, Israeli authorities have not publicly named the specific commanders they were targeting in the operation. The Israeli military declared it would “not allow Iranian terrorist elements to establish themselves in Lebanese territory.”
Displaced Civilians Face Terrifying Reality
The Raouche area is a major tourist destination that is now filled with dozens of hotels acting as shelters for displaced families seeking refuge. Following the explosion, panicked residents were seen evacuating the premises out of fear of additional aerial bombardments.
Abu Hussein, a 45-year-old taxi driver, described the terrifying reality for civilians. He told reporters, “I came here from the southern suburbs to be safe with my children and the strike hit.” Another displaced man, Khalil Abu Mohammad, who was sheltering with his family in a nearby building, stated that his children were injured in the blast and that he was securing blood donations for them.
Lebanon’s Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine condemned the attack, insisting that civilians are being targeted rather than military personnel and installations, as Israel claims.
Rising National Death Toll and Displacement
The casualties from the Ramada hotel strike add to a rapidly climbing national death toll. Nassereddine confirmed that Israeli strikes across Lebanon have killed 394 people over the past week alone. This staggering figure includes 83 children and 42 women. Additionally, the health minister noted that nine rescue workers have lost their lives since the latest war began.
The Lebanese Health Ministry has recorded 1,023 wounded individuals. An estimated 95,000 people have been displaced by the ongoing offensive. The Israeli military recently issued new forced evacuation orders for residents in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs, releasing a map with certain buildings highlighted in red due to alleged Hezbollah ties.
Ground Combat and Previous Strikes
On the other side of the conflict, the Israeli army claimed it has struck over 600 Hezbollah targets and killed 200 members of the militant group within the past week. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed group Hezbollah confirmed it is actively engaging Israeli forces. Israeli troops reportedly crossed into eastern Lebanon using helicopters from the Syrian border. During combat in southern Lebanon, two Israeli soldiers were confirmed killed, marking the first Israeli military deaths since the recent offensive started.
This is not the first hotel targeted in the recent escalation. Earlier in the week, Israeli forces bombed the Comfort Hotel at the junction of Hazmieh and Baabda in the greater Beirut area, as well as a residential complex in eastern Lebanon, resulting in at least 11 fatalities. In response, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli military base near Safed, launching drones at the Tel Hashomer base, and striking an Israeli tank near Metula.
A Rapidly Expanding Regional War
Lebanon became deeply embroiled in this escalating regional conflict on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israeli territory. This assault was a direct reaction to the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during United States and Israeli airstrikes that commenced on February 28.
The strikes in Lebanon are part of a rapidly widening regional war. The overarching conflict has already claimed over 1,300 lives, including more than 1,200 people in Iran, and has spread to involve strikes in Gulf states, Iraq, and beyond. Looking ahead, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “many surprises” for the next phase of the ongoing military campaign.
