Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, late October 20, 2024. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, more than 2,400 people have been killed and over 11,400 others injured in Lebanon since the latest escalations in hostilities began. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE

“Move away from this immediately,” he said in a video statement.

Jeanine Hennis, United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, said there was “widespread panic” in Beirut after the IDF’s evacuations were announced.

“A short period of time to get to safety. Intense explosions echo across the night sky. Lebanon suffers more every day. But even amid escalating violence, solutions remain available. If only the opportunities were taken advantage of,” she said.

Early Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said it had attacked dozens of Hezbollah facilities and sites, which it accused of helping Iran’s proxy militia finance its war against Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Monday morning that 15 buildings in the Lebanese capital Beirut were hit as the IDF carried out a large-scale attack on “Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure.”

“Beirut is on fire,” he said in a statement.

“Hezbollah has paid and will continue to pay a heavy price for its attacks on northern Israel and its rocket fire.”

Israel accused Hezbollah of using the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association Bank to store funds that it used to buy weapons and make payments to Hezbollah operatives.

“The terrorist organization Hezbollah stores billions of dollars in the association’s branches, including funds held directly under the terrorist organization’s name,” the IDF said in a statement.

“These attacks are part of the IDF’s ongoing efforts to weaken Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure, its military capabilities and its ability to rebuild.”

The IDF said its attacks overnight were carried out not just in Beirut but throughout southern Lebanon and deeper into the country.

Israel and Hezbollah have been carrying out attacks across the Israeli-Lebanese border since Israel’s war against Hamas, another Iranian proxy militia, in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023.

The cross-border attacks led Israel to evacuate tens of thousands of northern Israelis, and Israel has significantly intensified its attacks on Lebanon since September 23. It has vowed to return northern Israelis to their homes.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, more than 2,460 people have been killed since October 7, 2023, but the vast majority have died since September 23.