Israel targets Hezbollah’s financial support system in wave of airstrikes across Lebanon

For the first time, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a targeted operation to destroy the infrastructure of Hezbollah’s financial support system – branches of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan bank in particular – in an overnight wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, the IDF said Monday.

Lebanese sources reported at least 11 strikes in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, while more strikes occurred in the northeastern Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon.

“During the night, Air Force fighter jets attacked dozens of headquarters and sites where funds used by the military arm of the terror organization Hezbollah for terrorism against the State of Israel were stored,” the IDF stated.

#عاجل جيش الدفاع أغار على مقرات ومواقع قام حزب الله بتخزين أموال تابعة لذراعه العسكرية والتي كان يستخدمها لأنشطة إرهابية

🔸أغارت طائرات سلاح الجو خلال ساعات الليلة الماضية في بيروت وعمق لبنان وجنوبه وبتوجيه استخباري من هيئة الاستخبارات العسكرية على عشرات المقرات والمواقع التي تم… pic.twitter.com/ihvdcsRwmP

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) October 21, 2024

In the evening, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari warned Lebanese citizens to flee from the targeted areas.

"Before the attacks, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including many warnings on various platforms to the population in the area," the IDF said. "These attacks are another part of the IDF's ongoing effort to harm Hezbollah's terrorism, disrupt Hezbollah's military activities and make it difficult for Hezbollah to restore its military capabilities."

The Al-Qard Al-Hassan association “finances Hezbollah's terrorist activities directly, including the purchase of weapons, and the payment and distribution of salaries to the operatives of Hezbollah's military arm. Hezbollah stores hundreds of millions of dollars in the association's branches,” the military added.

According to the Israeli security think tank, Alma Research Center, Al-Qard Al-Hassan is an integral part of the infrastructure that Hezbollah has built as a parallel and alternative to the Lebanese state.

The Al-Qard Al-Hasan institution is one of Hezbollah's main economic assets since its founding in 1981. The IDF spokesman has just announced that the IDF is currently attacking its branches in the Dahiyeh and Beqaa. In practice the institution functions as a bank for Hezbollah… pic.twitter.com/9qOMJiQTBL

— Israel-Alma (@IsraelAlmaorg) October 20, 2024

This also includes institutions dealing with education, health, welfare and energy. While these have served Hezbollah’s supporters in the Shia community, they were also being used and exploited by the group’s military wing.

According to Army Radio, Al-Qard Al-Hassan bank is part of “a well-oiled Iranian system, which transfers amounts of up to a billion dollars every year from Iran to Lebanon. The Iranian money usually goes to Syria, where it is converted into dollars, and from there it goes to Lebanon. Most of it is used to pay salaries, and the remainder for the basic maintenance of Hezbollah and the organization's infrastructure.”

Beirut in flames. A wide-scale Israeli attack targeted Hezbollah's financial infrastructure in Beirut and across Lebanon last night. Massive fires were seen above Beirut as over 15 buildings were struck following evacuation warnings to residents. Hezbollah has paid and will… pic.twitter.com/TH0L9v1J3I

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) October 21, 2024

“The purpose of the broad wave of attacks tonight: To undermine the economic stability of Hezbollah, and the trust of the organization’s operatives in it, to generate internal pressure on Hezbollah since its people no longer have economic stability and peace, and to reach this through widespread damage to all the assets and infrastructures where Hezbollah manages its economy, and stores its funds,” wrote Army Radio’s military correspondent, Doron Kadosh.

Hezbollah continued its rocket attacks on Israel through the night and into Monday, firing a 25-rocket barrage at the areas of Maalot Tarshiha, Kfar Vradim, Karmiel and Sakhnin in the morning.

The military also reported that overnight it shot down two hostile drones approaching Israel from the east, one above Syrian territory and the other above Jordan.

Iran-backed forces in Iraq have repeatedly claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Israeli targets in recent months, including a drone strike that killed two IDF soldiers in the Golan Heights.

Meanwhile, the IDF continued its operations to locate and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure and weapons stockpiles in southern Lebanon.

Israeli soldiers operating under the four divisions currently active in southern Lebanon found large quantities of weapons, including anti-tank missiles and launchers aimed at northern Israel, RPG launchers, magazines, explosive charges and mines, grenades and other combat equipment.

During the fighting, soldiers of the 91st Division spotted a terror squad launching rockets towards Israel from nearby a school. They quickly directed an airstrike at the launch area, eliminating the terrorists.

In the town of Aita al-Shaab, IDF 188th Brigade soldiers found a pickup truck with a loaded rocket launcher on its cargo bed next to a civilian home.

The house contained a full weapons stockpile with new, unopened equipment, including dozens of anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, ammunition for sniper rifles and machine guns, grenades and emergency medical equipment.

U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein is set to arrive in Lebanon on Monday to continue talks for a ceasefire while reportedly carrying "dramatic" Israeli demands to implement UN Resolution 1701 with "increased enforcement" rights for the IDF.