Beirut rocked by deadly explosion: Hamas office targeted, top Palestinian leader among victims
According to the Lebanese news agency, a powerful explosion rattled Beirut. The blast claimed the lives of at least four people. The target seems to be the Hamas office located in the southern outskirts of Beirut.
12:39 PM EST, January 2, 2024
Initial reports suggested the incident was due to a car bomb explosion. However, the Lebanese news agency contradicts this viewpoint by stating that the attack was executed using an Israeli drone, as cited by Reuters.
The victim list includes one of the top-ranking Palestinian leaders linked with Hamas. Hamas is a Palestinian terrorist organization that orchestrated the October attack on Israel, Reuters reports.
Video footage of the Beirut explosion circulates online
An abundance of video footage from the scene of the incident is being shared online. The clips show burning cars and scattered debris. The explosion was so powerful it damaged nearby buildings, resulting in city-wide chaos.
Manar TV, controlled by Hezbollah, stated that the explosion's intensity was such that it could be heard in other parts of the city.
According to a journalist reporting from the scene, "there's a high likelihood of either a drone strike or a bomb planted in the car, with an airstrike being deemed unlikely."
"The scene reveals a substantial crater, and a witness attests to hearing two explosions, resulting in the destruction of both the car and the nearby building," they added.
