Israel has fulfilled its threat to attack the economic arm of Hezbollah and has launched more than ten attacks on financial headquarters of Al Qard Al Hassan, an entity belonging to the Shiite militia, throughout Lebanon, with the aim of weakening its economic system, as announced by several local media outlets.
The newspaper L'Orient Le Jour has stated that the Israeli army hit "the target of the Al Qard Al Hassan agency, located on the first floor of a building in Ali el-Nahri, in Bekaa." It also detailed at least 11 attacks on bank headquarters in al-Barakat, near the Beirut International Airport, in the Nabatiyeh district in southern Lebanon, and in the regions of Nabatiyé and Aaqibiyé, between Saida and Tyre.
Shortly before, the Israeli army had warned the Lebanese population to stay away from the Al Qard Al Hassan infrastructure. "We know that with this kind of bank, disconnected from the international SWIFT system, (Hezbollah) pays salaries within its organization and is used by many Lebanese civilians," explained a senior Israeli intelligence official.
More than two dozen killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza
At least 26 people have died in a series of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, most in the northern part of the enclave, so far on Monday, as reported by several Palestinian media outlets, while images of caravans of people fleeing the area under the supervision of soldiers are going viral on social media.
Israel began a new siege of northern Gaza two weeks ago, resulting in hundreds of deaths and forcing thousands of people to flee. Shared images on social media show groups of people marching through devastated streets, under the supervision of Israeli tanks.
Iran informs IAEA of Israeli "threats" against its nuclear program
Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of Israel's "threats" against its nuclear program, amid speculation that they could be a target of Tel Aviv as retaliation for the missile strike on October 1.
"We have informed the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Rafael Grossi) through a note of protest and will follow up on the matter in the UN Security Council," said the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ismail Baghaei, in a press conference on Monday, as reported by Efe.
Baghaei reiterated that Tehran will respond harshly to any Israeli retaliation: "Our message is clear and has been made public," he emphasized.
A thousand sick women and children to be evacuated from Gaza, according to WHO
One thousand injured and sick women and children will be evacuated soon from Gaza, as announced on Monday by the European director of the World Health Organization (WHO) in an interview with AFP. Israel commits to carry out around "1,000 additional medical evacuations to the European Union in the coming months," stated Hans Kluge, emphasizing that the evacuations would be facilitated by the WHO, in collaboration with the affected countries.
United States states that the missile defense system sent to Israel is ready for operation
The missile defense system sent by the United States to Israel is "operational" and ready to be used when necessary, stated US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, on Monday, as reported by CNN.
"We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly," Austin said about the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to journalists traveling with him to Kiev, as reported by Efe.
The THAAD defense system is one of the most powerful missile defense weapons in the US military, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles at distances of 150 to 200 kilometers with an almost perfect success rate in tests.
A US envoy will negotiate ceasefire conditions in Beirut
US envoy Amos Hochstein will hold talks with Lebanese authorities in Beirut on Monday regarding the conditions for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, as reported by two sources to Reuters.
The Israeli government is considering "new ideas" for a hostage release agreement
The Israeli government discussed in a meeting on Sunday night "new ideas" for an agreement on the release of hostages in Gaza, as reported on Monday by The Times of Israel, following the death last Thursday of the top leader of Hamas and mastermind of the attacks on October 7, 2023, Yahia Sinwar.
A security cabinet met last night at the Israeli Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss new negotiation possibilities with the Palestinian group after Sinwar's death, as reported by the Israeli newspaper, citing a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Efe.
"During the meeting, new ideas emerged to examine the feasibility of a proposal for the release of hostages," stated the spokesperson's release. The relatives of the 97 kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, who are still in the enclave - at least 34 of them dead - believe that Netanyahu's government should take advantage of Sinwar's death, seen by many as an obstacle to achieving a truce, to resume negotiations for the return of the captives.
The Israeli forces stated that Hezbollah stores billions of dollars in its own name in Al Qard al Hassan branches, which are then used to buy weapons or pay its members.
"Beirut in flames," wrote Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on his X social media account, alongside a photograph of an explosion in a building in the Lebanese capital. The minister indicated that Israel launched attacks on about 15 buildings in Beirut belonging to the entity.
The Army stated that its attacks are aimed at "degrading" the Shiite group and preventing it from rearming, after a month of intense attacks in Lebanon that have left over a thousand dead.
Shortly before, the Israeli forces issued warnings to the Lebanese population to stay away from the entity's branches, as they would soon be attacked.
A dozen attacks on Hezbollah's financial arm
The Israeli Army launched a series of attacks on over a dozen branches of Al Qard al Hassan, a financial organization affiliated with the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, in various parts of Lebanon, including in the southern suburbs of Beirut and very close to the airport, causing panic among the population.
"The number of attacks in the southern suburbs of Beirut rose to 11, including one on the Al Qard al Hassan branch near Rafik Hariri International Airport, the country's only airport," reported the Lebanese National News Agency (ANN).
In addition to the southern suburbs, located about 6 kilometers south of Beirut, the ANN pointed out that there were other attacks in Baalbek, Hermel, and Rayak in eastern Lebanon, while in the coastal city of Sidon, panic inside a school turned shelter near a branch caused displaced residents to rush out in search of safety, specifically heading towards the waterfront.