Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent in Beirut

The first airstrikes came about 20 minutes after the Israeli military’s evacuation order, here last night around 9:30 p.m. There were chaotic scenes in some parts of Beirut as people tried to get to areas they thought were safer, and thick clouds of smoke could be seen over the city’s southern suburbs.

The targets were branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a financial association linked to Hezbollah. It provides services to civilians in Shiite Muslim communities where the group enjoys strong support. The branches are often located on the ground floor of residential buildings in busy parts of the city.

The institution has been under US sanctions since 2007 and is accused by American officials of being a front for the Iranian-armed and financially backed Hezbollah to manage its financial activities.

According to the Lebanese state news agency, there were 11 attacks on Dahieh in Beirut, three in the south of the country and two in the Bekaa region, 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 represent an expansion of Israel’s war against the group and go beyond the military infrastructure used by the group. A senior Israeli intelligence official said the attacks were intended to disrupt Hezbollah’s operations and its ability to rebuild.

image source, EPA