From D.C. to Jerusalem and regional capitals, a sense of foreboding looms as tensions rise over potential Israeli retaliation for Iran’s October 1 attack and the assassination attempt on the Israeli prime minister, attributed to Iran. Here’s a quick dive:
HEZBOLLAH BANK BRANCHES DESTROYED. On Sunday, Israel struck branches of Hezbollah’s de-facto banking arm, Al-Qard Al-Hassan [which roughly means ‘benevolent loan’]. The Israeli military, IDF, alerted Lebanese citizens in advance to vacate areas around the branches before striking them in eastern and southern Lebanon. Half the bank’s branches across the country have been destroyed, the Saudi-based Al-Arabiya TV news outlet reported Monday morning.
Bank Sanctioned By The U.S. The Al-Qard Al-Hasan is a financial association that operates outside the legal banking system and has been under U.S. sanctions since 2007. American, Israeli, Saudi Arabian and other officials have long accused it of financing Hezbollah’s operations [see NYT report]
The Alternative Banking System dispersed salaries to thousands of employees of the terror group and pensions to its fighters and the families of dead terrorists. Up to a half-million people could be impacted, according to local Lebanese media.
Israel Says The Strike Meant To Hit Hezbollah’s Social Influence and weaken its ties with the Lebanese Shia community, numbering roughly around a million citizens. The strikes occurred when no customers were inside to avoid civilian casualties, reports WSJ.
Iranian Funding Of Hezbollah Under Threat. In a statement on Sunday evening, IDF spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari warned that “In the coming days, we will reveal how Iran funds Hezbollah’s terror activities by using civilian institutions, associations, and NGOs that act as fronts for terrorism. Before the strikes, an Israeli military spokesperson said the purpose of the strike is to target the ability of Hezbollah to function both during the war but also afterwards to rebuild and to rearm on the day after, reports BBC.
THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday has demonstrated again the role of Iran and its proxies in continuing to destabilize the region.
Attempted Assassination Shaked The Region. Over the weekend, the residence of the Israeli Prime Minister was targeted by a Hezbollah drone. The Israeli government blamed Iran. The incident has left Israel in accelerated high alert, and officials reviewed security for the country’s leadership amid analysis that Iran might have gathered intelligence on the whereabouts of Israeli politicians. This brazen attack underscores the increasing risks to Israeli leadership amid heightened regional tensions.
Iran Celebrated And Then Denied Involvement. Israel Prepares to Respond. The Iranian support network of terror groups and their affiliated media outlets initially celebrated the attempted assassination, but then the Iranian mission at the United Nations issued a statement distancing Tehran from the attack and blamed the Lebanese militia. This Iranian backtracking amused many.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned Iran for denying responsibility in the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing Tehran of deflecting responsibility by blaming Hezbollah. Katz asserted that Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy, is fully controlled by Iran in its operations, rejecting any portrayal of the group as independent. He wrote in a tweet, “Your lies and false pretenses won’t help you – you are responsible.”
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SPOKE WITH FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, the prime minister’s office said on Sunday. During the call, Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that while Israel considers the concerns of the U.S. administration, it ultimately makes decisions based on its national interests. The Republican presidential candidate Trump expressed support for Netanyahu’s stance and advised him to take necessary actions regarding Iran’s recent missile strikes and the assassination attempt. The call underlines the strong bipartisan coordination between American and Israeli leaders amid a war. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated Israel last week on eliminating Hamas terror chief, and the President spoke to the Israeli Prime Minister to personally congratulate him.
ICYMI – Over the weekend, the American Jewish Congress called the eliminated Hamas terror chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, “a killer of Israeli and Gazan children,” a reference to how he used two million Gaza residents as human shields, “embodying cold-blooded depravity on an unprecedented scale in modern conflict,” AJCongress said in an Instagram post that came with an imposing infographic poster. Check it out at this link, give us a like, and share it with your followers.
