At least 20 people killed in Israeli air strikes on central Beirut neighbourhood

At least 20 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut as diplomats scramble to broker a ceasefire.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said 66 people were wounded in the strikes, the fourth such attacks on central Beirut in less than a week.

The strikes early on Saturday morning destroyed an eight-story building with a legislator for Hezbollah saying none of the group’s officials were inside at the time.

The attack also stripped the facades from nearby buildings and crumpled cars.

"The area is residential, with closely packed buildings and narrow streets, making the situation challenging," said Walid Al-Hashash from the Lebanese Civil Defence.

"We are working with two excavators and the work is ongoing, so I cannot estimate when it will be completed."

Israel's military did not comment on the casualties.

The latest escalation comes after US envoy Amos Hochstein travelled to the region in a bid to strike a deal to end months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has erupted into full-blown war.

Two Western diplomatic officials described disputed points between Israel and Lebanon in ceasefire negotiations.

The current proposal calls for a two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River.

Thousands more Lebanese army troops would patrol the border area with UN peacekeepers and an international committee would monitor the deal's implementation.

The officials said Israel wanted more guarantees that Hezbollah's weapons are removed from the border area.

Israeli officials have said they would not agree to a deal that did not explicitly grant them freedom to strike in Lebanon if they