In a significant escalation of its campaign against Hezbollah, the Israeli military has announced the elimination of a key commander responsible for funding the Lebanese terrorist group. The IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, revealed that the commander, whose name was not disclosed, was killed in a targeted strike in Syria earlier on Monday.
Hagari identified the deceased commander as the head of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, a crucial component of the Iran-backed group’s financial network. Unit 4400 is tasked with facilitating the transfer of funds to Hezbollah through the sale of Iranian oil, with Hagari stating that the unit handles “tens of millions of dollars” in revenue.
This targeted strike follows the earlier elimination of another key figure, Mohammed Jafar Ksir, also known as Sheikh Salah, in early October. Ksir, previously the head of Unit 4400, was responsible for managing Hezbollah’s main source of income for years, according to the IDF spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its efforts to cripple Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure in Lebanon. On Sunday, the Israeli military struck at least 15 branches of Al-Qard al-Hasan, a financial institution accused of funding Hezbollah’s activities. Al-Qard al-Hasan, which operates as a bank and is registered as a charity in Lebanon, has been sanctioned by both the United States and Saudi Arabia.
During a news briefing on Monday, Hagari revealed that one of the targets was a vault underneath a residential building in Beirut, containing “tens of millions of dollars” belonging to Al-Qard al-Hasan.
The Israeli strikes come as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate. Following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, Hezbollah, a close ally of Hamas, has been launching daily rocket attacks into northern Israel.
In response, Israel has launched a ground offensive to push Hezbollah from its northern border and has intensified its efforts to cripple the group’s finances. The targeting of Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure reflects Israel’s determination to strike at the heart of the group’s operations and weaken its ability to sustain the ongoing conflict.