Israel targets bank branches in air strikes across Lebanon - live updates

Summary

Israel has carried out air strikes across Lebanon, saying it's targeting branches of a bank used by Hezbollah, with Israel's foreign minister saying the city is "in flames"
The Israeli military issued 24 warnings of air strikes in less than an hour - evacuation warnings which caused widespread panic, according to the UN's envoy to Lebanon
The Al-Qard al-Hassan bank has been under US sanctions since 2007, with the US saying it allows Hezbollah to bypass banking systems
Two strikes were reported close to Beirut airport, as passenger planes were still landing
From Beirut: Israel's war against Hezbollah goes beyond military infrastructure, writes Hugo Bachega

Live Reporting

Edited by Owen Amos and James Harness, with Hugo Bachega reporting from Beirut

US anti-missile system now in Israel, US sayspublished at 09:06 British Summer Time
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the anti-missile system that the US sent to Israel is now in place.
Austin would not say if the system is operational, but, speaking during a trip to Ukraine, said: "We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly and we're on pace with our expectations."
Officials say the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, known as THAAD, will bolster Israeli air defences.
It includes the deployment of about 100 US troops. Read more about the THAAD system here.
Israel says targeted bank 'directly funds Hezbollah'published at 08:33 British Summer Time
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement this morning, saying its air force targeted "dozens of facilities and sites used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to finance its terrorist activities".
It says the Al-Qard Al-Hassan "directly funds Hezbollah's terror activities, including the purchase weapons and payments to operatives in Hezbollah's military wing".
Before the strikes, the IDF says it took "numerous steps" to avoid harming civilians, "including advance warnings".
- You can read more about AQAH in our earlier post
Israel reports multiple rockets fired into country from Lebanonpublished at 08:21 British Summer Time
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says 25 projectiles have been fired from Lebanon into the country today.
"Some were intercepted, fallen projectiles were identified. No injuries were reported," the IDF says.
Earlier, it issued multiple alerts of sirens sounding across northern Israel.
Buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Beirutpublished at 07:54 British Summer Time
Beirut is no longer "in flames", as Israel's foreign minister wrote recently (see previous post).
But the damage caused by the latest Israeli strikes is clear in these pictures from al-Shiyah in central Beirut.
Image source, REX/Shutterstock
Image source, REX/Shutterstock
Image source, REX/Shutterstock
Beirut in flames, says Israeli foreign ministerpublished at 07:31 British Summer Time
Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz says the overnight attacks on Lebanon was a "wide-scale Israeli attack" which "targeted Hezbollah's financial infrastructure".
In a statement on X the minister says:, external "Beirut in flames. Massive fires were seen above Beirut as over 15 buildings were struck following evacuation warnings to residents.
"Hezbollah has paid and will continue to pay a heavy price for its attacks on northern Israel and its rocket fire.
"We will keep striking the Iranian proxy until it collapses."
Strikes hit near Beirut airport minutes before plane was due to arrivepublished at 07:06 British Summer Time
Media caption,
Watch: Air strikes near Beirut airport
As we've reported, Israel carried out more air strikes in Beirut and across Lebanon overnight, targeting branches of the AQAH bank.
Lebanon's state-run news agency NNA reported strikes on the bank's branch near Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut.
Until the strikes, at around 23:45 local time, the airport had been operating normally. A flight from Dubai, due to land at 23:59, arrived 17 minutes late.
What is Al-Qard al-Hassan, the bank being hit by Israel?published at 07:01 British Summer Time
The Israeli military says it hit "dozens" of buildings that housed branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan (AQAH) - a bank which they say is used by Hezbollah.
Set up in 1982 as a charitable foundation, the lender was officially registered in 1987 - its name means "The Good Loan" or "The Benevolent Loan".
AQAH was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury in 2007, due to alleged ties with Hezbollah. The US says it serves as a critical financial network for the group.
It operates outside traditional Western systems, allowing Lebanese people to get around restrictions imposed by local banks.
There are 34 branches for AQAH across Lebanon. As we've reported, Lebanese media say there 16 airstrikes on buildings with AQAH branches - most of them in southern Beirut.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
A building in Beirut that was hit by Israeli strikes overnight
'Widespread panic' in Beirut before strikes began - UN envoypublished at 06:51 British Summer Time
Image source, Reuters
Israel’s targeting of AQAH bank branches caused "widespread panic" in Beirut, says the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon.
In a post on X, external, formerly Twitter, Jeanine Hennis says there was a "brief window to escape to safety" after Israel issued warnings, adding that "intense blasts reverberate across the night sky".
"With each day, Lebanon suffers more. But even amid the escalating violence, solutions remain available. If only opportunities would be seized," she concludes in her post.
Footage elsewhere showed people fleeing central Beirut on foot or in cars. Some families said they planned to spend the night out in the open, and return home during the day.
Israel's war against Hezbollah moves beyond military infrastructurepublished at 06:46 British Summer Time
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, in Beirut
The first airstrikes happened about 20 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders, at around 21:30 here last night. There were chaotic scenes in some parts of Beirut, as people tried to get to areas they thought would be safer, and thick plumes of smoke were seen over the city’s southern suburbs.
The targets were branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a financial association linked with Hezbollah. It offers services to civilians in Shia Muslim communities where the group has strong support. The branches are often located on the ground floor of residential buildings in busy districts.
The institution has been under US sanctions since 2007, accused by American officials of being a cover for Hezbollah – which is armed and financially supported by Iran - to manage its financial activities.
According to the Lebanese state news agency, there were 11 attacks on Dahieh in Beirut, three in the country’s south and two in the Bekaa, areas where Hezbollah is present.
In Beirut, one of the attacks hit a location near the country’s only functioning commercial airport.
The attacks appear to mark an expansion of Israel’s war against the group, going beyond military infrastructure used by the group. A senior Israeli intelligence official said the strikes were intended to disrupt Hezbollah’s operations and its ability to rebuild.
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
Smoke seen after Israeli strikes near Beirut Airport overnight
Israel targets banks it says are supporting Hezbollahpublished at 06:44 British Summer Time
We’re re-starting our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East, as Israel carries out more strikes on Lebanon, targeting branches of a bank that it says is supporting Hezbollah.
At least 16 airstrikes were recorded across Lebanon against buildings with Al-Qard al-Hassan (AQAH) branches, Lebanon’s state media reports, including two strikes close to Beirut airport.
The Israeli military earlier warned people living in more than 20 areas in Lebanon - including 14 in the capital Beirut - that it planned to carry out strikes throughout the night.
We'll be unpacking this with our teams in London and across the Middle East, so stay with us.