Israel began a series of strikes on central Beirut on Tuesday evening, security sources told Reuters, after issuing its first-ever evacuation orders for four areas inside the city itself, hours before a ceasefire was expected to be announced.

Israel strikes crowded neighborhood in Beirut as part of its biggest attacks on Lebanese capital since start of the war

Israeli strikes pounded a densely-populated part of the Lebanese capital and its southern suburbs on Tuesday, hours ahead of an anticipated announcement of a ceasefire ending hostilities between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

With expectations growing of an imminent ceasefire to stop the fighting in Lebanon, Israel has struck multiple targets in the Lebanese capital Beirut from the air, in particular targeting the city's southern suburbs.

Israel strikes building in central Beirut, issues new evacuation warnings ahead of expected vote on ceasefire deal

Israel’s air force has carried out massive strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a hotbed of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, ahead of a possible ceasefire to end the fighting in Lebanon. Dozens of airstrikes simultaneously hit the Dahiyeh suburbs.

Dozens of people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon this weekend, including 29 who died after an attack flattened a multi-story residential building in central Beirut, according to Lebanese officials.

As negotiators inch toward a cease-fire deal, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has intensified.