U.S. sanctions 7 senior leaders at Hezbollah-linked Al-Qard Al-Hasan

UPI

2 days ago

Debris lies at the site of a damaged branch of Al-Qard al-Hasan, a financial institution linked to Lebanon's Hezbollah in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on Sunday that hit several branches of the institution, in Beirut suburbs, Lebanon, on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. File Photo by Fadel Itani/ UPI | License Photo
July 4 (UPI) -- The United States has sanctioned seven senior officials and one firm linked to Al-Qard Al-Hasan, a U.S.-designated, Hezbollah-controlled financial institution that came under attack last fall during Israel's war against the Iran-proxy militia in Lebanon.
Thursday's sanctions are the latest in a series by the U.S. Treasury targeting Hezbollah and follow U.S. actions against various revenue-generating operations of the militia during Israel's war against Hamas, another Iran-backed group, in Gaza, which began in October 2023.
Al-Qard Al-Hasan was blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury in July 2007, and its group of so-called shadow bankers in Lebanon was sanctioned in 2021.
On Thursday, the Treasury sanctioned Nehme Ahmad Jamil, 54, and his Tashilat SARL company he co-owns with Ahmad Mohamad Yazbeck, who was among the shadow bankers designated nearly five years ago.
Other senior officers at Al-Qard Al-Hasan sanctioned Thursday include Issa Hussein Kassir, 47, Samer Hasan Fawaz, 50, Imad Mohamad Bezz, 47, Ali Mohamad Karnib, 38, Ali Ahmad Krisht, 47, and Mohammed Suleiman Badir, 49.
According to the U.S. Treasury, these designations aim to disrupt Hezbollah's sanctions-evasion schemes and help the Lebanese government curb the group's influence.
"Through their roles at AQAH, these officials sought to obfuscate Hezbollah's interest in seemingly legitimate transactions at Lebanese financial institutions, exposing these banks to significant AML/CFT risk while allowing Hezbollah to funnel money for its own benefit," Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said in a statement.
"As Hezbollah seeks money to rebuild its operations, Treasury remains strongly committed to dismantling the group's financial infrastructure and limiting its ability to reconstitute itself."
Hezbollah became involved in the Israel-Gaza war a day after it began, launching rockets into northern Israel.
In October, with much of Gaza destroyed and tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, Israel intensified its attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching ground and artillery operations, seeking to eradicate the militant group in order to prevent it from further attacking Israel.
Among its targets was Al-Qard Al-Hasan, with dozens of its branches destroyed in Beirut's southern suburbs and southern and eastern Lebanon.