Armed woman 'holds up bank at gunpoint' ... to withdraw her own money

A Lebanese woman reportedly entered a bank in Beirut bearing a weapon - in order to withdraw money from her own savings account to pay for her sister's medical bills.

Footage of the woman, identified as Sali Hafez, showed her using what looked like a firearm to obtain the money from her frozen account at a branch of BLOM Bank.

However, the weapon was only plastic, according to Vice. She reportedly left with $13,000 (£11,240).

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Lebanon has been facing an extreme economic depression since 2019. More than 80 per cent of citizens are living in poverty and struggling to afford food.

The economic problems have led the government to impose strict restrictions on cash withdrawals.

Hafez is not alone in her outrage. Several people part of a group called the Depositors' Outcry group joined Hafez in her act.

Additionally, a man in the city of Aley also held up his bank using an armed weapon to obtain money in his account. Another man did the same at a bank in Beruit last week.

Lebanese people are only permitted to withdraw $200 to $400 per month.

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