Lebanon banks strike to protest holdups

BEIRUT, Lebanon

Most banks in Lebanon closed on Monday after a series of storming incidents by depositors demanding access to their savings.

The move came in response to a call by the Association of Banks for a three-day strike in protest of the holdups.

According to an Anadolu Agency reporter, all private banks in the capital Beirut closed their doors as part of the strike.

At least eight storming attempts were reported in Lebanon in recent days during which depositors managed to recover amounts from their frozen funds.

Last week, a woman carrying a gun broke into a bank in Beirut to withdraw $13,000 from her account.

Lebanon has been grappling with a severe economic crisis since 2019, leaving most people locked out of their bank accounts.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report