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Israeli Strikes Seek to Cripple Hezbollah’s Shadow State
Smoke billows over Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon October 19, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
JNS.org – Overnight on Monday, the Israeli Air Force launched a series of targeted strikes on branches and sites of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan financial association, which acts as a Hezbollah-run bank and forms the basis for the group’s shadow state in Lebanon. The goal of the strikes was to dismantle the economic network that funds the Iranian proxy army and makes Shi’ite Lebanese dependent on it.
This is part of a broader strategy aimed at disrupting Hezbollah’s ability to rearm and weakening its stranglehold on the Lebanese population.
According to a senior Israeli intelligence official on Oct. 20, the Al-Qard Al-Hassan faux bank “allows the whole economic functionality of the organization, whether it’s paying the salaries to the various operatives or just the daily payments they have to make for all kinds of things.”
Al-Qard Al-Hassan works similarly to a regular bank, with people arriving to conduct transactions, withdraw money, deposit funds, or take loans, “but actually it’s not a bank at all,” said the official. “And it’s disconnected completely from the international SWIFT mechanism … in order to avoid sanctions.”
In addition to paying terrorist salaries, Al-Qard Al-Hassan also provides services to Lebanese Shi’ites for a range of Hezbollah-funded programs, serving around 300,000 people and acting as an alternative banking system disconnected from the Lebanese financial system. “And it’s run completely by Hezbollah,” said the intelligence official, adding that until his elimination on September 27, the chief decision-maker at the bank was Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Most of Hezbollah’s funds were kept in Al-Qard Al-Hassan facilities, including the money of civilians who used the bank’s services.
“We know for a fact that Hezbollah is counting on this money, whether its their own money or the money of the civilians who put their money in this association, to fund the organization in emergency times, and now, during war, when they need to rearm themselves, re-equip themselves, they have a lot more payments to make,” the official said.
Lebanese Shi’ites, rather than use Lebanon’s official banking systems, placed their money in Hezbollah’s association, giving it control over most of the community and enabling it to run an alternative civilian system in Lebanon, which was also used to fund a shadow healthcare and education system.
This shadow economic system is one of the reasons Lebanon can’t get out of the economic crisis it’s in, the official explained.
“We know that the economic situation in Lebanon is perhaps one of the worst economic crises that there has been over the past 100 years, in modern times,” he said.
The official detailed the financial sources that keep Hezbollah afloat, noting that Iran provides around $50 million monthly to Hezbollah via Syria. Some of this money is transferred physically in cash, while other funds come through sales of Iranian oil to Syria, which are converted into cash in Syria before being funneled to Lebanon.
“Diplomatic figures” also arrive at Beirut’s international airport carrying cash, the source said.
This steady flow of Iranian funds enables Hezbollah to pay salaries and finance its day-to-day activities.
In addition to Iranian funding, the intelligence official outlined other sources of income for Hezbollah. The organization has been developing economic initiatives within Lebanon, establishing businesses aimed at creating self-sustaining economic streams.
Although these ventures currently contribute a smaller share to Hezbollah’s budget, they represent a growing part of its financial base. Moreover, fundraising efforts by prominent Hezbollah figures, though less significant, also supplement the organization’s income.
The Israeli strikes overnight Sunday aimed to undercut these funding streams.
According to IDF Arabic language Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee, who made a statement on Oct. 20 via X, these strikes were necessary because “Hezbollah’s terrorist activities are funded by the Iranian state budget,” and the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association acts as a “cover for Hezbollah’s terrorist assets.”
Adraee stressed that these financial networks directly contribute to Hezbollah’s ability to acquire weapons, establish launch positions, and pay its operatives. Israel’s strikes aimed to dismantle this infrastructure to undermine Hezbollah’s ability to continue financing its war efforts.
The Alma Research Center, which monitors northern fronts, highlighted that Al-Qard Al-Hassan has functioned as Hezbollah’s de facto bank since its founding in 1981.
The Center noted on Oct. 20 that Al-Qard Al-Hassan holds tons of gold and manages over half a billion dollars in loans annually. Over time, the institution has also become a tool for money laundering, allowing Hezbollah to bypass international sanctions, according to Alma. In fact, in 2021 the bank’s databases were hacked, revealing a trove of customer accounts, including those of Hezbollah operatives under sanctions, it added.
This parallel financial network has allowed Hezbollah to function as a state within a state in Lebanon, and its elimination will seriously damage the terror group.
The post Israeli Strikes Seek to Cripple Hezbollah’s Shadow State first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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