'Nowhere safe' after Israeli strike on central Beirut hotel

In central Beirut's Ramada hotel, a few metres away from Lebanon's landmark Pigeon Rocks, no one expected an Israeli strike to disturb the relative safety of this touristy area.

The rock formation, which comprises a natural arch and neighbouring sea stack, decorates the area of Raouche, facing a large banner that reads "beautiful romantic scenery".

They stood witness to Israel's first attack on central Beirut since the start of its new war against Hezbollah.

The health ministry said four people were killed in the Ramada, a four-star hotel, when a strike hit a fourth-floor room, leaving it a large blackened hole.

Windows in neighbouring rooms were also shattered, as were the windscreens of several cars in the street.

"Look at how precise the strike was, it was probably a drone," said a bystander who was mingling with journalists.

Israel's military said it had "conducted a precise strike targeting key commanders" in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, its foreign operations arm.

It launched multiple waves of strikes this week across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel on Monday in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Anyone could have died if they were unlucky enough to be near the targeted building," Mohammed Zaher, an engineer who was walking along the sunny coastline, told AFP, decrying that "Israel does not care about civilians".

"People usually come to this area to relax, to unwind, to enjoy the sea, the beach, the tranquillity, the beauty, the cleanliness and the safety."

- 'Nowhere is safe' -

Zainab, a 41-year-old who had been sleeping in her car with her husband and three children since escaping Israeli bombing of southern Lebanon, was woken up by the sound of the explosion.

"We rushed out and ran away" she said, as dozens of panicked guests were fleeing the hotel with their luggage.

"During the previous war, we also came here," she added, referring to the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel, which a ceasefire in November of that year sought to end.

"In the past, we used to come here for a stroll. We would come to Raouche and Manara, sit down, smoke shisha, and then return to our village... now nowhere in Lebanon is safe."

Her fears were shared by other passers-by.

"There is no safe place anymore," Salem Zeaiter, a Lebanese man who lives in Sweden but was visiting home, told AFP as he and his wife took selfies in front of the rocks.

"We came here on holiday two days before the war started," he added.

"The weather is nice and the food is good, I have many memories from this place, as I played here when I was younger... it's over now."

A mix of tanned athletes and wandering families swarmed on the seaside corniche, while Lebanese authorities struggled to manage the influx of hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

Tents had been erected under palm trees to accommodate those who could not afford a hotel and had not found space in schools serving as shelters.

Mothers sat on mattresses feeding their babies, while idle teenagers chain-smoked.

"Of course I fear the strikes could happen again and affect my work and the security of the area, forcing me to move my business to another location," said Moussa, who runs a small cafe next to the Ramada.

On the other side of the road, Hassan, a valet working for a local restaurant, waited for customers who were nowhere to be found.

"Raouche is a touristy area, but it has now become deserted," he said.