Amnesty International has condemned Israel’s recent strikes on branches of a Hezbollah-linked financial institution, stating that the attacks likely violate international humanitarian law.
The human rights group argues that targeting al-Qard al-Hassan as a civilian financial institution may constitute a war crime, especially if the institution serves civilian customers rather than military purposes.
Despite Israel’s claims that the bank funds attacks, Amnesty’s senior director Erika Guevara Rosas emphasizes that such institutions are protected under laws of war as long as they maintain civilian functions.
Hezbollah has assured that necessary precautions were taken ahead of the strikes, pledging to meet its commitments to depositors. The attacks on the Lebanese bank have raised concerns about the impact on ordinary Lebanese who trust their savings with al-Qard al-Hassan.