At least 22 people killed in Israeli air strikes in central Beirut

At least 22 people were killed and 117 wounded in twin Israeli air strikes in central Beirut on Thursday evening, Lebanon’s health ministry said. 

Plumes of smoke were seen rising from two separate locations in the centre of the Lebanese capital, close to the country’s national museum and the French embassy and at least 5km from the southern suburbs where most of Israel’s air strikes have hit as it pursues its attacks on Iran-backed Hizbollah militants.