IDF targets Hezbollah’s financial network

Israeli forces continue their intensive operations in Gaza after Hamas leader and mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack, Yahya Sinwar, was killed in a firefight with Israeli forces.

The development comes as Israel continues intensive air and ground campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and considers its response to Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.

Latest developments

October 21, 8:25 am

Blinken visits Israel during a tour of the Middle East

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on a tour of Israel and other Middle Eastern countries on Monday in an effort to revive stalled negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, it said Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Blinken “will discuss the importance of ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people,” the State Department message said.

“He will continue discussions on planning for the post-conflict period and emphasize the need to chart a new path forward that enables Palestinians to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations, free from tyranny of Hamas,” the statement said.

Blinken will also “underscore the need for additional food, medicine and other humanitarian assistance to be delivered to civilians in Gaza,” the report continued.

The situation in Lebanon – where Israel continues an intensive air and ground campaign and Hezbollah continues to fire across the shared border – will also be a topic of discussion, the Foreign Ministry said.

Blinken will continue to pursue a “diplomatic solution” that allows “citizens on both sides” of the border to return to their homes, the statement said.

-Cindy Smith of ABC News

October 21, 5:55 am

‘Beirut in flames’ after a night of air strikes, says foreign minister

“Beirut in flames,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X on Monday after an intense night of air strikes on the Lebanese capital.

“A large-scale Israeli attack last night targeted Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure in Beirut and across Lebanon,” Katz said.

“Massive fires were seen over Beirut, affecting more than fifteen buildings following evacuation warnings to residents,” the foreign minister wrote.

“Hezbollah has paid and will continue to pay a heavy price for its attacks on northern Israel and its rocket fire. We will continue to attack the Iranian proxy until it collapses.”

– Guy Davies of ABC News

October 21, 2:20 am

IDF claims ‘dozens’ of attacks on Hezbollah financial targets

Israel Defense Forces warplanes launched “a series of targeted, intelligence-based attacks on dozens of facilities and locations used by the terrorist organization Hezbollah to finance its terrorist activities,” the IDF said in a message to X on Monday.

The attacks on Sunday evening hit targets in Beirut, southern Lebanon and elsewhere “deep within” the country, the IDF added.

The IDF said the targets were linked to the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association, which Israel has accused of acting as a major financier of Hezbollah activities.

-Jordana Miller of ABC News

October 20, 6:17 PM

The US is investigating an intelligence leak about Israel’s alleged plan to attack Iran

Documents purportedly showing secret US intelligence collection on Israel’s preparations for a possible retaliatory strike against Iran appeared on social media platforms late last week.

The impact of the dissemination of these documents on the Israeli military’s current and future planning is unclear at this time.

U.S. officials declined to comment on the situation when reached by ABC News. However, a law enforcement source confirmed to ABC News on Sunday that an investigation is underway.

Notes on the documents indicate they are believed to come from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which collects, analyzes and disseminates intelligence gathered from satellite and aerial imagery.

If the documents are authentic, it would indicate a major intelligence breach.

According to ABC News national security and defense contributor Mick Mulroy, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, “Future coordination between the US and Israel could also be tested.”

The Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence all declined to comment when contacted by ABC News.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson appeared on CNN on Sunday and acknowledged that an investigation into the possible intelligence leak is underway, adding: “We are following it closely.”

-ABC News’T. Michelle Murphy

October 20, 3:19 PM

IDF says it is targeting infrastructure in Lebanon of a group that is said to be financing Hezbollah

The Israeli army announced on Sunday evening that it was targeting infrastructure in Lebanon linked to the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association, an organization they say is involved in financing Hezbollah.

The United States imposed sanctions on the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association in May 2021 in connection with its financing of Hezbollah activities.

The Al-Qard Al-Hassan group has 31 branches in Lebanon, including in Beirut and Bekaa, officials said. At least one strike was reported in Beirut’s Chyah neighborhood on Sunday evening.

“The ‘Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association’ is involved in financing the terrorist activities of the Hezbollah organization against Israel, and therefore the IDF has decided to attack this terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF said in a statement on Sunday. “The IDF continues to work vigorously to destroy Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure. That is why we are calling on people in buildings used by Hezbollah to stay at least 500 meters away from them for the next few hours.”

-Victoria Beaule of ABC News