Israel renewed strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs after warning it would target a Hezbollah-linked financial firm, escalating regional tensions.

BEIRUT: Israel renewed its strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday. The attacks followed an Israeli military warning that it would target branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a financial firm linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Lebanese state media and AFP correspondents reported at least three strikes on the southern outskirts of the capital. Footage showed large plumes of smoke rising from the area, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Earlier, the Israeli military said it would strike the firm’s branches operating in Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon. Roads leading to one of its branches in Beirut were closed, according to witnesses.

In the southern city of Sidon, an area outside Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds, an AFP correspondent saw ambulances and civil defence vehicles gather around another branch. Israel also bombed the firm’s branches, including the one in Sidon, during its last war with Hezbollah in 2024.

The company is under US sanctions. Lebanon was drawn into the wider Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel.

That attack was a response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes. Israel had maintained strikes targeting Hezbollah even before the recent escalation, despite a 2024 ceasefire.

Last week, Israel launched multiple attacks across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas.

 The Sun Malaysia