Israel's military announced Sunday it is now taking aim at the Lebanon-based Hezbollah's financial arm and will attack a “large number of targets” in Beirut and elsewhere. Explosions began in Beirut's southern suburbs about an hour later.

By Amina Ismail and Nidal al-Mughrabi BEIRUT/CAIRO (Reuters) -Hundreds of Beirut residents fled their homes late on Sunday after Israel said it was preparing attacks on sites linked to the financial operations of Lebanon's Hezbollah group and told people to leave those areas immediately.