Israel says it 'eliminated' Hezbollah finance chief in Syria

The Israeli military announced on Monday that it had eliminated a Hezbollah commander responsible for overseeing the group’s finances in Syria.

The commander, whose name was not disclosed, led Hezbollah’s Unit 4400. This unit was in charge of transferring funds from Tehran to Hezbollah, largely through Iranian oil sales.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that the commander was killed in a targeted strike just hours earlier in Syria. He added that Unit 4400's main responsibility was facilitating the flow of tens of millions of dollars to Hezbollah.

This operation follows Israel’s previous elimination of the unit’s former leader, Mohammed Jafar Ksir, also known as Sheikh Salah, who was killed in Beirut in early October. Ksir had managed Hezbollah's primary income sources for years, enabling the group's financing through Iranian oil revenues.

"He managed the terrorist organisation's main source of income for years until we eliminated him in a targeted attack on the capital (Beirut) in early October," Hagari said.

In parallel, Israel intensified its military campaign against Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure in Lebanon.

As per the news agency AP, Israeli forces struck at least 15 branches of Hezbollah's Al-Qard Al-Hasan on Sunday. It is a financial institution accused of funding the group’s military activities. Strikes targeted branches in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, flattening a nine-story building in the capital.

Despite Israel issuing evacuation warnings, there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Al-Qard Al-Hasan is a group sanctioned by both the US and Saudi Arabia. It has served as an alternative banking system for Lebanese civilians, especially since Lebanon's financial crisis began in 2019.

The Israeli military claimed that the institution holds millions in cash and gold for Hezbollah and that these funds are used to purchase arms and pay fighters. The strikes are part of Israel’s broader effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s financial capabilities and prevent the group from rearming.

Hezbollah has been launching rockets into northern Israel almost daily, in support of Hamas, following the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7.

The United States is attempting to revive diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire as the conflict escalates, although all sides still remain resistant.