Israel conducts air attacks on ‘Hezbollah’s financial arm’, as Lebanese flee homes

The organisation has 30 branches in Lebanon, including 15 in densely populated areas of Beirut.

Several Israeli air raids have been reported in Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to Lebanese media.

A video shared on social media appears to show an Israeli airstrike hitting a building near the airport, after which the whole building collapses.

Another video shows a fire at a building in a residential area of southern Beirut. A sign in Arabic on the front of the building reads “Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association”.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported at least three branches of al-Qard al-Hassan were struck in southern Beirut and Hermel.

Across Lebanon, people who live near branches have been fleeing their homes.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has claimed the army was “destroying” Hezbollah. He stated the Israeli military not only “defeating the enemy [Hezbollah], but we are destroying them in all the villages along the border, in the places that Hezbollah planned to use as launchpads for attacks against Israel”.

While cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah continued since the Gaza war last October, Tel Aviv escalated its offensive in Lebanon late last month, killing Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and many other commanders.

The extensive air attacks, followed by a ground invasion, have killed more than 1,800, injured over 9,300 and displaced around 1.3 million people.