Israel announced late Monday that it plans to carry out additional strikes in Lebanon against the Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hasan, which it targeted the night before. The Israeli military alleges that the institution uses customer deposits to fund attacks against Israel.
At least 15 branches of Al-Qard Al-Hasan were hit on Sunday night across the southern neighborhoods of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, where Hezbollah has a significant presence. One airstrike leveled a nine-story building in Beirut that housed a branch of the institution. The strikes were preceded by evacuation warnings, and no casualties were reported at the time.
Further strikes were observed Monday night near Beirut’s coastal area of Ouzai, close to the city’s airport. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that an airstrike near the city’s largest public hospital resulted in the deaths of four people, including a child, and injured 24 others. This marked the first strike on Beirut in 10 days.
Israeli ground forces entered Lebanon earlier in the month with the stated aim of pushing Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon, allowing tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return to their homes near the border. Israeli airstrikes have targeted various regions in Lebanon for weeks, leading to over a million people fleeing their homes.
Hezbollah has continued to launch rockets into Israel nearly every day since a Hamas raid into Israel last year triggered a broader conflict in Gaza.
