By love-89.com In an unsettling turn of events, the Sahel hospital in Dahiyeh was evacuated despite Israel’s assurances that it would not target the facility. This evacuation followed reports of nearby airstrikes that resulted in at least four fatalities. Fadi Alame, the hospital’s director, strongly refuted Israel’s claims that Hezbollah was harboring significant amounts of cash and gold in a bunker beneath the hospital.
Israel did not provide any concrete evidence for its allegations, opting instead to release an animated graphic suggesting a bunker existed under the hospital. They asserted that this location had previously sheltered Hezbollah’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Furthermore, Israel urged the Lebanese government to seize funds it alleged Hezbollah had illicitly obtained from the Lebanese populace.
In the wake of these accusations, Israel issued a series of warnings to Dahiyeh residents, advising them to evacuate at least 500 meters from their homes. Many did heed this warning and began to flee the area. Airstrikes commenced approximately an hour later, resulting in intense explosions echoing throughout Beirut. One of the strikes occurred just outside the entrance of Rafik Hariri University Hospital—the largest public hospital in Lebanon—leading to significant casualties, including the death of a child and injuries to 24 others. The hospital also sustained “major damage” from the attack.
Despite the ongoing chaos, a hospital source confirmed that operations resumed as usual, with staff tending to those injured in the assaults from the previous night. As first responders continued searching through the debris, fears mounted that casualties could increase. Disturbing images emerged from the site, illustrating the devastation and loss of life.
Growing concerns persisted that hospitals in the wider Beirut area might also be targeted, particularly given the Israeli claims that echoed prior assertions made in Gaza about Hamas’s alleged military activities being conducted from medical facilities. The Lebanese Ministry of Health condemned what it described as “attacks on two of Lebanon’s largest hospitals,” labeling them part of Israel’s “daily targeting of the Lebanese health sector.” Since the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel reignited approximately a year ago, at least 115 healthcare workers and emergency responders have reportedly lost their lives.
Monday marked the second consecutive night that Beirut underwent extensive bombing, with Israel allegedly conducting over 15 airstrikes targeting Hezbollah-affiliated banking institutions the previous night. Israel claimed to have struck around 300 Hezbollah sites across Lebanon within a 24-hour period, intensifying its efforts to cripple the group’s financial infrastructure, even as U.S. officials called for an expedited resolution to the conflict.
During this escalating situation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was traveling to Israel and its neighboring nations to reinvigorate ceasefire discussions in Gaza and pursue diplomatic resolutions regarding Lebanon. On the weekend, Israel announced its intentions to target Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a bank associated with Hezbollah that offers interest-free loans and banking services primarily to Shia Muslims. Israel accused the bank of financing Hezbollah’s operations and maintaining weapons in its branches.
This new strategy indicated an expansion of Israel’s targets to encompass Hezbollah’s civilian institutions. The bank had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. in 2017 due to its ties to Hezbollah’s financial network, which had been established during the early 1980s as part of a comprehensive social service system.
Since the announcement, Israeli strikes targeted Al-Qard Al-Hassan branches throughout Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Ten airstrikes were reported in Dahiyeh alone, leading to the collapse of entire structures and substantial destruction in residential areas. Ma’an Khalil, the mayor of Ghobeiry, criticized the strikes, emphasizing that they destroyed civilian neighborhoods rather than military installations.
As the situation escalates, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut to engage with Lebanese officials about potential ceasefire pathways. Hochstein emphasized the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which governs security dynamics along the Lebanese-Israeli border and aims to prevent armed militias from operating in the region.