Israel bombs 'dozens' of banks in Lebanon with alleged links to Hezbollah's terrorist activities

Israel targeted 'dozens' of financial institutions which they claimed were being used by Hezbollah to help with their 'terrorist activities'.

jets bombed the unlicensed banks throughout Lebanon including 11 in the suburbs of the capital Beirut. Hezbollah responded by firing 25 missiles into . Israel hit the Al-Qard Al-Hassan banking organisation.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman said they had hit 'dozens of facilities and sites used by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation to finance its terrorist activities'. He added: "The group directly funds Hezbollah's terror activities, including the purchase of weapons and payments to operatives in Hezbollah's military wing". Before the strikes, the IDF said it took 'numerous steps' to avoid harming civilians, 'including advance warnings'.

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A senior Israeli intelligence official said: "The main objective is to affect the trust between Hezbollah and a lot of the Shia community that uses this association as a banking system. Because, economically speaking, a lot is based on the fact that there are people using it; there are people who trust it more than the other banking systems."

A building close to Lebanon's only commercial airport was also hit. Footage posted online showed a smoke plume billowing while a nearby aeroplane sat on the runway. Ma'an Khalil, the mayor of Ghobeiry municipality in the southern suburbs of Beirut claimed: "They struck empty buildings in residential neighbourhoods, and destroyed those surrounding neighbourhoods. These weren't military centres or weapons caches."

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At least 11 strikes were reported in Beirut's southern suburbs, with more attacks in southern Lebanon and the northeastern Beqaa Valley region. In a separate development seven Israelis have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran.

Prosecutors said the seven had carried out hundreds of tasks for Tehran. The suspects are all Jewish residents of Haifa and the north and include a soldier who deserted the military, as well as two children. The suspects are accused of photographing and collecting information on IDF bases and facilities, including the Kirya defense headquarters in Tel Aviv and the Nevatim and Ramat David air bases, as well as Iron Dome battery sites.

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