A building in the Hezbollah bastion of southern Beirut collapsed in a gigantic cloud of smoke and dust after Israeli air strikes on Friday.

Witnesses reported seeing a missile slamming into the lower floors of the building, which erupted in a huge fireball, causing the structure to collapse.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported a “heavy raid carried out by aircraft of the Israeli enemy” in the Ghobeiri area, near Horsh Beirut, the capital’s largest park.

It said the raid had been preceded by two missile strikes on the same target by an Israeli drone.

The strikes followed a call by the Israeli military to evacuate the area.

The evacuation order posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army spokesman, told residents to leave, warning of imminent strikes.