Late Sunday, the Israeli military began launching a series of airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dahieh and in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, targeting the branches of a bank.
The strikes began shortly after an Israeli military spokesman said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would start hitting buildings that belong to al-Qard al-Hassan Association, a bank that Israel accused of financing Hezbollah.
“The air force will launch extensive strikes on targets in the southern suburb of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah-linked economic assets,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said not long before the strikes were launched.
Al-Qard al-Hassan is under US sanctions over allegations related to Hezbollah, but the bank is also used by ordinary Lebanese citizens. According to Reuters, the bank has 30 branches across Lebanon, including 15 in densely populated parts of Beirut and its suburbs.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported at least 11 Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, including one that landed near Beirut International Airport, and many targeted al-Qard al-Hassan buildings. Several strikes were also reported in the Bekaa Valley.
The bank issued a statement assuring its customers that it had taken “all of the necessary procedures since the beginning of the war to safeguard your deposits and valuables and can confirm that you should not worry they are safe.”
Israeli strikes have been pounding Dahieh in recent days despite the US assuring the Lebanese government that the attacks on the capital city and its suburbs would ease. On Saturday, at least a dozen Israeli strikes hit Dahieh.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that at least 17 people were killed and another 59 were injured by Israeli strikes on Saturday, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to 2,464. The breakdown is unclear, but many civilians have been killed by Israel’s onslaught. The Israeli military has flattened many residential buildings and targeted families that fled evacuation zones.
Netanyahu is angry… his rage will only dig his own tomb and that of his colonial brethren.
Most people don't seem to care. Netanyahoo could probably eat live puppies on camera and excuses would be made for him, if not ignored all together.
Sad but true to some extent. I presume that’s what happened when the Holocaust as well: most people could not even care (or only cared enough to feel uneasy but not to do anything about it) and looked elsewhere.
However I would contest the “most” in your “most people”: lots of people through the world have been mobilizing in many different ways against the GENOCIDE of Palestine. And even among those who don’t care much, the uneasiness has been growing enough as for most European governments (for example) to pretend they’re not selling weapons to Israel (even fascist Meloni just joined that bandwagon). Only the USA, Britain and Germany now openly back Israel in the GENOCIDE, all the rest is like: “I don’t want to be dragged to Nuremberg 2.0, really”.
They are bombing banks now? This is insane.
What's next, bomb 'Hezbollah linked' grocery stores?
Don't give them ideas
Why is Israel bombing Lebanon with impunity? Is no nation willing to intervene and provide Lebanon with advanced anti-aircraft systems?
The nation that needs more advanced anti-aircraft systems is Lebanon. What is Russia waiting for?
I hope I live to see the day that Israel gets the reaction it deserves from the world.