We get an update on Israel’s latest attacks on Lebanese banks, which it accused of holding money for Hezbollah, and the Israeli military’s attacks on UNIFIL forces in contravention of both Lebanese sovereignty and the rules of war. “There is nothing that shows they really want to impose a ceasefire,” says Jamil Mouawad, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut, of Israel’s flouting of international norms and the United States’ complicity in its human rights violations.

AMY GOODMAN: The Israeli military says it’s hit buildings housing nearly a dozen bank branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a financial institution with ties to Hezbollah. Many of the banks were located in residential buildings and held the savings for many Lebanese residents.

On Sunday, UNIFIL, the U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, accused Israel of deliberately demolishing another U.N. observation tower in what UNIFIL described as a “flagrant violation of international law.”

JAMIL MOUAWAD: Actually, the situation in Lebanon is incredibly difficult. We currently live in a limbo. Life has come to a halt, basically, with people concerned about when do they go about their normal life, when students will go back to schools, to universities, people will go back to their jobs, but also to their normal life. So, there is a lot of anxiety going on.

Yesterday, as you mentioned, Israel attacked directly and bombed financial institutions related directly to Hezbollah. Of course, we all know that Israel has identified any institution, civilian or not, directly affiliated with Hezbollah as a threat, and they are bombing it. Of course, this is only a way to demolish buildings in Lebanon and to further terrorize the Lebanese civilians.

  • rigattiEnglish
    19•1 month ago

    I’d prefer reform to destruction that probably leads to worse corruption…