Iran's President says Israel tried to assassinate him
Israeli army strikes Yemen ports after ship attack in Red Sea
US envoy 'unbelievably satisfied' with Lebanon's response to plan to disarm Hezbollah
Israeli army captures Iran-linked 'terrorist' cell in Syria
At least 57,523 Palestinians killed and 136,617 wounded since Gaza war began
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The National
27 minutes ago
- The National
Lebanon banks banned from dealing with Hezbollah's financial networks
Lebanon 's banks have been banned from dealing with financial networks linked to Hezbollah, according to a document seen by The National. The Hezbollah-affiliated institutions include Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, which has been providing compensation to residents affected by the latest war with Israel. Others are Tashilat SARL, Yousser Company and Bayt al-Mal. The decision, made by Lebanon's Central Bank, comes as Hezbollah, once a formidable militia and influential political party in Lebanon, is weakened significantly by months of conflict with Israel that destroyed much of its leadership and arsenal. Hezbollah is now under unprecedented pressure to disarm after the war ended in a November ceasefire brokered by the US and France. Its disarmament, once a taboo, is now on the table. US special envoy Thomas Barrack said in a post on X on Tuesday that the ban was a 'step in the right direction'. Mr Barrack visited Beirut last week, where was handed Lebanon's reply to a US plan aimed at disarming Hezbollah. According to a central bank circular, all financial institutions licensed by it - as well as brokers - are banned from conducting any transactions, directly or indirectly, with institutions including Al Qard Al Hassan. Failure to comply with the decision could result in legal action, such as suspension or revocation of licences, freezing of accounts and assets, or referral to the Special Investigation Commission, the memo said. All the financial companies cited in the document are under US sanctions, accused of providing financial support to Hezbollah's network. Tashilat SARL was the latest to be added to the US Treasury's sanctions list in early July. The organisation and seven senior officials were listed over their association with Al Qard Al Hassan. Last year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) added Lebanon to its "grey list" of jurisdictions under enhanced scrutiny. Founded in 1983 and registered as a non-governmental organisation in Lebanon, Al Qard Al Hassan has grown to become the country's largest microcredit provider, particularly serving the Shiite community. Before the war, it was running more than 30 branches across Lebanon, including 15 in Beirut and its suburbs. Israel destroyed and damaged several of its branches during last year's conflict with Hezbollah. Lebanese banker Jean Riachi told The National that nothing has changed for the banks. 'Banks, in principle, do not work with sanctioned entities,' he said. 'There's certainly a symbolic element to naming Al Qard Al Hassan directly. It's unusual to single out a specific entity in a central bank circular, that's generally not done." He explained that previous circulars did not explicitly ban institutions other than banks, such as money transfer agencies and e-payment platforms, from dealing with Al Qard Al Hassan and linked agencies. 'Banks already avoided these entities under the cover of compliance requirements from foreign correspondent banks,' Mr Riachi said. "But these entities don't have correspondents abroad anyway, so technically they weren't affected." He added that the move was a positive step towards improving compliance, while not addressing the core of the issue, that these Hezbollah-affiliated institutions are not licensed with Lebanon's Central Bank. 'It's a good step but no one has dared to go further and declare what they're doing as illegal. Because technically, to operate as a bank, you need a licence from the Central Bank of Lebanon. They're not doing it, it's still a highly political issue."
UAE Moments
31 minutes ago
- UAE Moments
Here is Israel's Proposed Concentration Camp in Rafah
A controversial proposal by Israel's defense leadership has sparked international alarm and widespread condemnation, as it outlines a plan to relocate more than two million Palestinians to a designated area in Rafah, Gaza. Critics are calling it a blueprint for a modern-day concentration camp. What the Plan Proposes Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant recently revealed that an initial 600,000 Palestinians from the coastal al-Mawasi region would be transferred to southern Rafah within 60 days of a ceasefire agreement. This would mark the beginning phase of a broader operation that would eventually relocate Gaza's entire population, over two million people, into the southern city. While Gallant claims that the Israeli army will not administer the plan, he offered no clarity on which international organizations would manage this massive displacement. The absence of operational details has only fueled scepticism and fear among humanitarian groups and observers worldwide. A 'Humanitarian Transit Area' or a Concentration Camp? A proposal seen by Reuters contains details of a so-called 'Humanitarian Transit Area' (HTA), reportedly affiliated with the US-backed Global Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The HTA is described as a site where Gaza residents will "temporarily reside, deradicalise, re-integrate and prepare to relocate if they wish to do so." This language has raised red flags among human rights organizations. Critics argue that terms like 'deradicalise' and 'prepare to relocate' mirror tactics historically used in forced detention and ethnic cleansing programs. The plan bears disturbing similarities to systems of confinement and control, prompting some to refer to it as a "concentration camp" in all but name. Rapid Destruction in Rafah An Al Jazeera investigation uncovered that 12,800 buildings were destroyed between April and July 2025 alone. This surge in demolitions coincides with Israel's renewed offensive into Rafah launched in late March, further supporting the view that these clearances are part of a strategic operation to reshape Gaza's landscape in alignment with the new displacement plan. The proposal has yet to be formally adopted, but its existence signals a deeply troubling shift in Israel's approach to Gaza's population. Israeli journalist and author, Gideon Levy, told Al Jazeera, "It is very clear that the intention is more criminal than it seems from the outside because it is not only about concentrating those people – 600,000 – on a very small piece of land. The idea is to finally force those people to leave the enclave." Levy revealed that the plan has drawn condemnation from some Israeli politicians, but their opposition is unlikely to have any impact on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the plan is approved.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
President Sheikh Mohamed discusses ties with President of Iran
President Sheikh Mohamed on Tuesday held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone. The two men discussed enhancing bilateral relations while also reviewing a number of regional and international issues with a particular focus on the Middle East, state news agency Wam reported. Sheikh Mohamed also stressed the UAE's keenness to support consolidating peace and stability across the region. The call followed a statement issued by Iran on Monday that said it would not resume nuclear talks with the US if a deal is conditional on halting its uranium enrichment activities. Tehran and Washington held several rounds of negotiations aimed at reviving a nuclear deal, but those efforts were derailed after Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran in June, triggering 12 days of war. Following the ceasefire, both sides signalled interest in returning to the negotiating table. However, Tehran has remained firm that it will not relinquish its right to the peaceful use of nuclear power.
