Israel conducted airstrikes hit Hezbollah on branches of a financial association linked to Hezbollah in Lebanon’s southern suburbs of Beirut, as well as in the southern and eastern parts of the country.
Late on Sunday, explosions were heard in parts of Beirut, prompting chaotic scenes as residents sought safer areas. The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH), which provides financial services in Hezbollah strongholds. While AQAH claims to serve civilians, Israel and the US accuse it of funding Hezbollah’s activities under this guise.
No immediate response was issued by AQAH or Hezbollah.
These attacks signal an expansion of Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah, extending beyond its military infrastructure. The strikes occurred just before the arrival of a US envoy in Beirut, aiming to mediate a potential end to the conflict.
Airstrikes Hit Hezbollah cause conflict
Israel launched a large-scale air and ground campaign against Hezbollah following a year of cross-border hostilities that were ignited by the Gaza war. Israel’s stated objective is to protect its border communities, which have been impacted by Hezbollah’s rocket fire since October 8, 2023—one day after Hamas attacked Israel.
The conflict has claimed more than 2,400 lives in Lebanon, with 1,800 fatalities in the last five weeks alone, according to the Lebanese health ministry. In northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, 59 people have died due to Hezbollah’s rocket fire.
Sunday’s strikes on AQAH branches occurred around 9:30 p.m. local time, about 20 minutes after Israel issued evacuation orders. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported 11 strikes on Dahieh in southern Beirut, along with attacks on AQAH branches in Nabatieh, Tyre, Shehabieh, Baalbek, Hermel, and Rayak—regions where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
In Zahrani, where an AQAH branch was damaged, business owner Ahmed lamented the destruction of his livelihood, insisting that the neighborhood was entirely civilian. It remains unclear if the AQAH strikes resulted in casualties, but the NNA reported six women and children were killed in a separate airstrike in Baalbek, and two bodies were recovered from rubble in the town of Srifa.
Israel’s military claimed it had struck “dozens of Hezbollah-linked facilities” and that AQAH branches were being used to store billions of dollars to fund the group’s military operations.
An Israeli intelligence official explained that the strikes aimed to weaken Hezbollah’s operational capabilities during the war and beyond, while also reducing its influence over large parts of Lebanese society. Hezbollah, which Israel and several Western countries consider a terrorist organization, is deeply rooted in Lebanese society as a political and social force, with seats in parliament and a vast network of services.
AQAH is a crucial part of Hezbollah’s social services, with over 30 branches located mostly in residential buildings. Many Lebanese have relied on AQAH for small, interest-free loans since the country’s economic crisis deepened five years ago. The association offers loans backed by gold or a guarantor and allows people to open savings accounts, serving a critical role amid Lebanon’s economic collapse.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in 2021 that AQAH had provided $3.7 billion in loans to 1.8 million people since its founding in the 1980s. He also claimed that US sanctions, imposed since 2007, had only strengthened AQAH’s operations.
Though neither Hezbollah nor AQAH have officially commented on the airstrikes, a statement circulating on social media claimed that depositors’ funds with the association remained secure.
Israel continues operations in southern Lebanon, aiming to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. On Monday, Hezbollah continued to fire rockets into northern Israel, with over 60 projectiles crossing the border by the afternoon, and about 200 detected the previous day. Israeli airstrikes also targeted a Hezbollah command center and weapons workshop in Beirut on Sunday.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) accused Israel of intentionally destroying an observation tower and perimeter fence at one of its peacekeeping posts in Marwahin, southern Lebanon—a pattern seen in recent weeks.
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Additionally, the Lebanese army reported that three soldiers were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a military vehicle in Nabatieh. Though Lebanon’s army has historically remained uninvolved in clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, its soldiers have been caught in the conflict as hostilities have intensified.