Latest news with #Hezbollah
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lebanon Bans Dealing with Hezbollah Financial Entity
Lebanon's central bank has banned banks and brokerages from dealing with a Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution, according to a circular, a sign of the group's diminished sway over state affairs since its devastating war with Israel. Keeping up military pressure on the Iran-backed group, Israel on Tuesday launched some of its heaviest airstrikes since a ceasefire in November, saying it hit training camps and weapons depots in east Lebanon. A security source in Lebanon said 12 people were killed, five of them Hezbollah fighters, Reuters reported. Hezbollah has faced mounting pressures since the war, including financial ones. In the circular, dated July 14 and reviewed by Reuters, Banque du Liban prohibited all licensed financial institutions in Lebanon from dealing directly or indirectly with unlicensed entities and listed Hezbollah's Al-Qard Al-Hassan as an example. The US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on Al-Qard Al-Hassan in 2007, saying Hezbollah used it as a cover to manage "financial activities and gain access to the international financial system". Bolstered by its powerful arsenal, Hezbollah had long exercised decisive influence over Lebanese state affairs, but it was unable to impose its will in the formation of a post-war government in February. Al-Qard Al-Hassan, founded in 1983, describes itself as a charitable organisation which provides loans to people according to Islamic principles that forbid interest. Israel struck some of its branches during its war with Hezbollah last year. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation under a licence granted by the Lebanese government, it has more than 30 branches, mostly in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. SHADOW ECONOMY A Lebanese official said the central bank move had been in the works for months, and reflected US pressure on Lebanon to take action against Hezbollah's financial wing. Nassib Ghobril, chief economist at Byblos Bank, said Lebanese banks were already careful to avoid dealing with Al-Qard Al-Hassan because it is under US sanctions. "The important point is that finally the authorities are addressing the shadow economy in Lebanon, which is the real problem," he said, adding that authorities had long failed to address its "toxic effects". In June, the European Commission included Lebanon in an updated list of high-risk jurisdictions presenting strategic deficiencies in their national anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. Last year, global financial crime watchdog FATF placed Lebanon on its "grey list" of countries under special scrutiny.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Strikes Kill 12 in Lebanon, including 5 Hezbollah Fighters
Heavy Israeli airstrikes killed 12 people, including five Hezbollah fighters, in eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, a security source in Lebanon said, in what Israel said was a warning to the Iran-backed group against trying to re-establish itself. The Israeli military said the airstrikes targeted training camps used by elite Hezbollah fighters and warehouses it used to store weapons in the Bekaa Valley region of eastern Lebanon. The airstrikes were the deadliest on the area since a US-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel last November. Bachir Khodr, governor of the Bekaa region, said seven of the dead were Syrian nationals. Israel dealt Hezbollah heavy blows in last year's conflict, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah along with other commanders and destroying much of its arsenal. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday's strikes sent a "clear message" to Hezbollah, accusing it of planning to rebuild the capability to raid Israel through the elite Radwan force, Reuters reported. Israel "will respond with maximum force to any attempt at rebuilding", he said. He added that strikes were also a message to the Lebanese government, saying it was responsible for upholding the ceasefire agreement. There was no immediate public response from Hezbollah or from the Lebanese government to the latest Israeli strikes. The United States has submitted a proposal to the Lebanese government aimed at securing Hezbollah's disarmament within four months in exchange for Israel halting airstrikes and withdrawing troops from positions they still hold in south Lebanon. Under the terms of the ceasefire brokered by the US and France, Lebanon's armed forces were to confiscate "all unauthorized arms", beginning in the area south of the Litani River - the zone closest to Israel.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Israel launches rare attack on Syrian government forces
The Syrian government condemned the Israeli attack and said it was aimed at undermining the country's stability. It said a number of its forces had been killed, as had civilians. Advertisement Dozens of people have been killed this week in violence that erupted in the southern province of Sweida, triggered by a series of kidnappings involving Syria's Druse minority and pro-government Bedouin tribal groups. The Syrian government said it had sent forces Monday to try to calm the violence in Sweida, the Syrian Druse heartland. But those forces became embroiled in clashes with local Druse fighters, leading Israel to respond with two straight days of airstrikes on government fighters. Both Israel and Syria have sizable Druse minorities, and in Israel, Druse serve in the national military. Israeli leaders have offered to protect Syrian Druse should they come under attack during the country's post-Assad transition. Sweida province is home to an array of Druse militias, many of which have resisted efforts to integrate into the new national armed forces. Advertisement The government and local Druse figures in Sweida reached an agreement Tuesday to quell the violence, although the cease-fire deal has proved shaky, with reports of continued attacks. The US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said Washington was mediating to restore calm. The clashes in Sweida were the latest flare-up of sectarian violence in Syria, where tensions linger from a nearly 14-year civil war. Footage verified by The New York Times gave a glimpse of the chaos. One video shows houses on fire Sunday as armed men walk through al-Tireh, a village in Sweida province. In another video, gunfire can be heard down the main road of al-Mazraa, a village where government forces were said to be engaging in clashes. Some videos showed convoys of government-affiliated forces that appeared to be on their way to the region Monday. A graphic photo circulating on social media showed the aftermath of an ambush on those convoys. The bodies of at least nine men, wearing camouflage, lay in a group on a road, some covered in blood. In neighboring Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes hit the eastern Bekaa Valley, a bastion of support for Hezbollah. The attack killed 12 people, most of them Syrians, who often work in agriculture in the area, said the regional governor, Bachir Khodr. It was the deadliest Israeli strike on Lebanon since a cease-fire was reached in November, ending the most destructive war in Lebanon in decades. The war began with Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with its ally, Hamas, in the Gaza Strip after Hamas led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Advertisement The airstrikes Tuesday targeted facilities belonging to Hezbollah's Radwan unit, the spearhead of the group's fighting force, according to the Israeli military. Hezbollah said the attack targeted civilian water infrastructure, calling it a 'significant escalation.' Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said the attacks were 'a clear message' to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government that Israel would respond with 'maximum force' to any attempt by the group to restore its military capabilities. In recent weeks, Israel has been intensifying attacks on Hezbollah in what Lebanese officials and diplomats say is an attempt to pressure it to disarm — a core requirement of the fragile truce agreement. Battered by the conflict, Hezbollah says it has already withdrawn its fighters from southern Lebanon. But it has refused to lay down its arms nationwide, insisting that Israel must first stop its near-daily attacks on Lebanon and withdraw from five positions in the country's south that it still occupies in violation of the November truce. Israel has said it will keep up attacks and hold onto the positions in southern Lebanon because Hezbollah still maintains an armed presence in the area. The stalemate has raised fears of renewed conflict. Lebanese authorities say Israel's strikes are frequently conducted without prior coordination with the US-led cease-fire monitoring committee, which is supposed to mediate consultations between the sides on sites that could potentially be targeted for attack. The Lebanese military did not receive any request from Israel on Tuesday to inspect the facilities that were targeted before the attack, according to a senior Lebanese security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. The Lebanese military has warned that it may suspend cooperation with the US-backed mechanism if such unilateral actions continue. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
LBCI
3 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Parliament resumes session on government performance
Lebanese Parliament resumed its session at 5 p.m. to debate the government's performance, with MPs continuing to deliver speeches. MP Paula Yacoubian delivered a sharp critique, urging the cabinet to take decisive action against corruption and the proliferation of weapons outside state control. Yacoubian described the government's efforts as "modest at best," stressing that the Lebanese people are still placing hope in the executive's ability to confront what she called the entrenched corruption of the ruling class. Addressing the issue of Hezbollah's arms, she said that despite the hardships Lebanon has endured, "there has been no meaningful response from Hezbollah regarding the call to place all weapons under the authority of the state." "There is no country in the world that has prospered while allowing militias to bear arms," Yacoubian added. "This time, we are not entering the unknown—we know exactly what lies ahead," she warned, calling on the government to present a concrete timeline and framework for the collection and surrender of weapons. "This is the most crucial decision facing the government," she stated. Yacoubian further said, "This is one of the best governments Lebanon has had, and we hope it brings fruitful projects." Moreover, MP Halimé El Kaakour acknowledged that the current government has implemented several reforms but criticized its lack of transparency and responsiveness. 'We have yet to receive answers to many questions we've raised, including those related to public debt, prisoners, and arbitration councils,' she said. Kaakour also highlighted deep concerns in the education sector, noting that only 22% of students in Lebanon are enrolled in public schools—a figure that is 'reversed in most countries around the world.' Addressing the issue of national defense, Kaakour stressed the urgent need for the security strategy outlined in the government's policy plan, particularly regarding the state's monopoly on arms. 'Where is the security strategy?' she asked. 'And why does the government remain silent on ongoing Israeli violations?' MP Michel Daher sounded the alarm during the session over what he described as an existential threat to Lebanon, warning that tensions are simmering beneath the surface. Daher called on the government to take responsibility on the international stage and push for international guarantees to protect Lebanon, including securing an Israeli withdrawal from the five remaining occupied border points. 'We are facing a systematic destruction of the economy, and Israel is pleased with our current state,' he said. 'If the crisis continues, I fear the outbreak of internal strife.' MP Sami Gemayel issued a stark warning about Lebanon's future, saying there can be no meaningful reform or progress as long as weapons remain outside the authority of the state. "We are committed to prioritizing national partnership and transitioning Lebanon toward a new direction," Gemayel said in a televised address, stressing that any genuine dialogue must take place in an environment free from intimidation and armed pressure. "How can we hold talks while some factions possess weapons and a tool of coercion?" Gemayel described the situation in Lebanon as a state of war, questioning how the country can attract investments or receive international aid without first asserting its sovereignty. "There is no state, no reform, and no recovery while weapons are outside the state's framework," he declared. "Nothing will move in the right direction in Lebanon under these conditions." He also urged Hezbollah not to be the cause of internal unrest, saying the so-called resistance weapons have failed to protect Lebanon. "They are not resisting today," he said. "Let them turn these weapons into an opportunity to defend the country through the Lebanese Army." Gemayel's comments reflect mounting concerns among political leaders over the impact of non-state arms on Lebanon's stability, governance, and international standing.
LBCI
3 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Hezbollah calls Israel east Lebanon strike a 'major escalation'
Hezbollah condemned an Israeli airstrike that killed 12 people in the Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, as a "major escalation." In a statement, the group said Israel's attack "constitutes a major escalation in the context of the ongoing aggression against Lebanon and its people." It called on Lebanese authorities to "take serious, immediate, and decisive action" to uphold a November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. AFP
