Israeli airstrikes Saturday in central Beirut killed at least 15 people, officials said, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon's capital continued without warning while diplomats scrambled to broker a cease-fire.

The Israeli military made no immediate comments on the reported strikes early on Saturday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began a major offensive against Hezbollah in September,

When Lebanese carpenter Samir awoke in a panic Saturday to the sound of explosions and screams, he thought his own building in central Beirut had been hit by an air raid.