The strikes hit new neighborhoods in the capital, signaling the widening scope of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, even as U.S. officials hailed diplomatic efforts.

Hundreds of people in Beirut fled their homes as about a dozen explosions were heard across the Lebanese capital on Sunday evening, shortly after Israel announced it would aim at sites linked to the financial operations of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group. Explosions began in Beirut’s southern suburbs about an hour later on Sunday.