Israel targets the terrorist money supply
Israel has temporarily shifted the focus of its air campaign in Lebanon and Syria from plinking jihadists cowering in bunkers to wiping out Hezbollah's infrastructure. Israeli strike fighters hit eleven locations associated with Hezbollah's financial operation after giving people in the target areas 20 minutes' notice to evacuate.
The Israeli military said it targeted money held by Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH). It offers financial services to civilians in areas where Hezbollah has strong support, but Israel and the US accuse it of being a cover for the Iran-backed group to fund its activities.
There was no immediate comment from AQAH or Hezbollah.
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It alleged that Hezbollah stored billions of dollars at branches of AQAH, and that it used the money to purchase weapons and pay members of its military wing.
“The purpose of these strikes is to target the ability of Hezbollah to function both during the war but also afterwards, to rebuild and to rearm the organisation on the day after, and [to target] the grip Hezbollah has on large parts of the Lebanese society,” an Israeli intelligence official told reporters.
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AQAH is a key part of Hezbollah’s social services network. Before the Israeli strikes, it had more than 30 branches, often located on the ground floor of residential buildings.
This has created a cash shortage for an organization that needs a large cash flow to pay fighters, benefits to the families of slain fighters, and to carry out the social work that propelled Hezbollah into prominence in Lebanese politics. Because Hezbollah doesn't have access to international banking channels, it requires large quantities of cash to operate. Recall that when the Israelis bounced a JDAM off Hasan Nasrallah's turban, over $500 million in cash and gold was also lost. The hits on Hezbollah banks not only destroy the location where Hezbollah does business but also destroy all the currency stored at the bank.
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This is a smart move by the Israelis. At the same time, Israel is destroying many of the terrorist, their homes, and their business. The terrorist's mass murder attack on Israeli non-combatants has backfired in a big way. I would not be surprised to see a direct attack on Iran since it has been using its proxies to attack Israel.
See also:
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Earlier today, I posted on Israel's assault on Hezbollah's shadow economy. This economy is used to support Hezbollah's fighters, to provide a death benefit to families of deceased terrorists, and for the social programs Hezbollah hid behind before becoming an open proxy of the Iranian regime. This operation requires cash because Hezbollah doesn't have access to the international banking system; see Israel Targets Hezbollah Banks for Destruction Creating Cash Crunch for Terror Group.
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And:
General Who Predicted Lebanon War: Israel’s Strike on Iran Will Be ‘Fierce’
And:
Inside Hezbollah's financial network: Iran, banks and smuggling operations unveiled
While Tehran continues to supply its main proxy with funds, the terror group has turned to criminal and civilian bodies to continue to finance its fight against Israel
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