Israel strikes Hezbollah finances, threatening further action.
(The Post News)- Israel has launched airstrikes that targeted Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure in Lebanon, sparking fears of escalating tensions. The Israeli military conducted dozens of attacks overnight, hitting over 15 buildings in Beirut, including branches of AI-Qard al-Hasan, which is accused of being Hezbollah’s banking arm.
The Israel military has issued over two dozen evacuation warnings in areas across Lebanon, which included the densely populated Dahiya neighbourhood, a Hezbollah stronghold. The attacks had set off massive fires in the Lebanese capital, with the extent of the casualties currently unknown.
The foreign Israel Minister has vowed to continue striking Hezbollah until it collapses, in response to the attacks on the northern Israel and rocket fire. This move has raised concerns from the international community, wan the U.N warning of the potential genocide in northern Gaza. The conflict has caused intense pain and destruction, with over 2,400 killed and 11,530 wounded in Lebanon.
In the midst of tensions, Amos Hochstein and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who are two top U.S diplomats, are working to calm Israel’s conflicts with Hezbollah and Hamas. Hochstein had talks with Lebanese officials, including parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who spoke out in support for fully implementing the 2006 U.N resolution that ended the last major war between Hezbollah and Israel. The U.S seeks to advance negotiations to bring back hostages and end the war in Gaza.
AI-Qard al-Hasan, is a registered charity and lender that operates in areas where traditional banking struggles, providing financial services to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens. Its branches are embedded in Shiite Muslim communities, and its eventual downfall would be a huge loss to the Hezbollah’s social services network.
The situation remains unstable, with Israel planning retaliation against Iran. The international community calls for calmness amid rising humanitarian concerns. In response, Hezbollah has launched rockets at Israel, and with the intense fighting continuing, hundreds of thousands are affected by the conflict.
With the impact on civilians growing and with many displaced and struggling to access basic necessities. The international community requests restraint and peaceful resolution. The U.S has sent a THAAD antiballistic missile system to Israel to help in defending itself against Iran attacks, which Defence Secretary LIoyd J. Austin said is already in place and ready for use.
Since the strikes against Hezbollah last month, at least 1,803 people have been killed across Lebanon, and the Israel attacks on the northern Gaza this weekend killed at least 87 people so far.
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