| Israel said late Monday it is planning to carry out more strikes in Lebanon against a Hezbollah-run financial institution that it targeted the night before. It says the militant group uses the deposits of Lebanese people to finance rocket attacks against Israel. Israeli forces struck at least 15 branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassana late Sunday. |
The strikes targeted Al-Qard Al-Hassan branches in the southern neighborhoods of Beirut, across southern Lebanon and in the eastern Bekaa Valley, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. One strike destroyted a nine-story building in Beirut with a branch inside it. Smoke rose from several locations on Monday.
The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings ahead of the strikes, but three Lebanese soldiers were killed in the strikes. The Israeli military apologized Monday for the strike, saying it is not battling the country's military and its troops believed they were targeting a vehicle belonging to the Hezbollah militant group.
Israel invaded Lebanon earlier this month, saying it aims to push Hezbollah 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, massacring some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israeli airstrikes have pounded large areas of Lebanon for weeks, forcing over a million people to flee their homes.
The United States is hoping to revive diplomatic efforts to resolve both conflicts after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip last week, but so far all sides appear to be digging in.
