Lebanon’s capital city is returning to a cycle of violence and destruction just as it was beginning to stabilize after years of chaos.

The escalation comes after a U.S. envoy traveled to the region to pursue a deal to end months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israeli airstrikes Saturday in central Beirut killed at least 20 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.