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 Hezbollah and told people to leave those areas of Lebanon's capital immediately.

Hasan, which functions as Hezbollah’s de facto banking arm but also operates as an alternative bank for Lebanese, were targeted around Beirut and across the country’s south and east.

Israel said late on Sunday it was preparing attacks on sites linked to the financial operations of Lebanon's Hezbollah group within hours and told residents to leave those areas immediately, as it intensified assaults there and in Gaza.