Israel's strike on a multi-storey residential building in central Beirut's Basta district has killed at least 11 people, with the number expected to rise.

A powerful airstrike killed 11 people in central Beirut on Saturday, the Lebanese civil defence said, shaking the capital as Israel pressed its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Israel has amped up its military campaign across Lebanon in an apparent attempt to pressure Hezbollah to agree to a cease-fire.