Israel has launched a wave of attacks on buildings belonging to al-Qard al-Hassan, a US-sanctioned financial organisation that has more than 30 branches across Lebanon. Fifteen of those branches are in densely populated parts of central Beirut and its suburbs. Israeli airstrikes hit southern Beirut, as well as the eastern Bekaa valley. One strike also hit close to Beirut’s airport. The Israeli military had earlier issued a warning that it would attack infrastructure belonging to the association and ordered people to evacuate. Panicked crowds and traffic jams clogged the streets of Beirut as hundreds of residents tried to evacuate