Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Thursday the imposition of sanctions against 24 major clients of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association, an entity affiliated with Hezbollah and recently designated as a terrorist organization. The move is part of a broad economic campaign led by the defense establishment against the Lebanese Shiite movement. These sanctions target customers who have made substantial deposits with the association, which directly finances Hezbollah's activities, including the purchase of weapons, the granting of loans and the payment of salaries to members of the organization.
“The sanctions imposed today by the Minister of Defense will help locate and disrupt the international financial activity of these entities and the organizations associated with them,” said lawyer Paul Landes, director of the National Countermeasures Bureau. against Israel's financing of terrorism.
Minister Katz underlined his government's determination: “We will not allow Hezbollah and its supporters to continue to finance terrorism against the State of Israel. The economic sanctions I imposed today are part of the efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and harm those who provide them with economic oxygen,” he said. “It is a clear and unambiguous message: we will reach anyone who supports terrorism – on all fronts and by any means.”
This new series of sanctions comes as tensions remain high on Israel's northern border, where daily exchanges of fire have taken place between the IDF and Hezbollah since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7.
