Lebanese are surveying the damage after overnight Israeli strikes hit nearly a dozen branches of a Hezbollah-run financial institution
Lebanese were surveying the damage on Monday after overnight Israeli strikes hit nearly a dozen branches of a Hezbollah-run financial institution that Israel says is used to fund attacks but where many ordinary people keep their savings.
The strikes targeted Al-Qard Al-Hassan branches in the southern neighborhoods of Beirut, across southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. One strike flattened a nine-story building with a branch inside it. Smoke was still rising from several locations on Monday and bulldozers were removing the debris.
The Israeli military had issued evacuation warnings ahead of the strikes, and there were no reports of casualties.
Israel invaded Lebanon earlier this month, saying it aims to push Hezbollah back from the border after more than a year of rocket, missile and drone attacks that began after Palestinian Hamas militants launched their surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israeli airstrikes have pounded large areas of Lebanon for weeks, forcing over a million people to flee their homes.
Avichay Adraee, the Arabic language spokesman for the Israeli military, said warplanes targeted several locations “used to store money for the military arm of Hezbollah», including Al-Qard Al-Hassan, which he said finances arms purchases and is used to pay Hezbollah fighters.
