The strikes, which destroyed an eight-story building and left a crater in the ground, were the fourth in Beirut in less than a week.

Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed at least 11 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, as diplomats scrambled to broker a cease-fire. Lebanon’s civil defence said the death toll was provisional as emergency responders were still digging through the rubble looking for survivors.

BEIRUT - A massive Israeli airstrike that hit a residential building in a central district of Beirut early Saturday killed at least 20 people, thundered across the city and underlined fears in Lebanon that the war is escalating, days after diplomatic talks aimed at a cease-fire stirred hope of the conflict’s end.

The envoy, Amos Hochstein, was in Israel and planned to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seeking a truce in the country’s war with the militant group Hezbollah.

Israeli airstrikes Saturday killed at least 11 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, officials said, as diplomats try to broker a cease-fire.

Saturday’s attack completely demolished a multi-story building in a densely-populated neighborhood. Israel did not say who the strike’s target was.

Once-rare attacks on heart of Lebanon’s capital continue without warning while diplomats scramble to broker ceasefire

The strikes were the fourth on Beirut in less than a week. The escalation comes after a U.S. envoy traveled to the region this week in an attempt to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 66 people were wounded in the strikes, which were the fourth in central Beirut in less than a week.

The escalation comes after U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein traveled to the region in pursuit of a deal to end months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has erupted into full-on war.