US Blacklists Lebanese Individuals, Entities over Hezbollah Links

A sign marks the US Treasury Department in Washington, US, August 6, 2018. (Reuters)
A sign marks the US Treasury Department in Washington, US, August 6, 2018. (Reuters)
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US Blacklists Lebanese Individuals, Entities over Hezbollah Links

A sign marks the US Treasury Department in Washington, US, August 6, 2018. (Reuters)
A sign marks the US Treasury Department in Washington, US, August 6, 2018. (Reuters)

The United States on Wednesday added a host of Lebanese individuals and entities it said were linked to the Martyrs Foundation to its designated “global terrorists” lists, according to a notice on the US Treasury Department’s website.

US officials have previously targeted the Lebanon-based Martyrs Foundation, an organization the department has said channels financial support to several militant groups, including Hezbollah.

“Hezbollah profits from the sale of goods vital to the Lebanese peoples’ health and economy, such as pharmaceuticals and gasoline,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “The Trump Administration stands with the Lebanese people, and we are committed to exposing and holding accountable Hezbollah’s terror-funding business schemes.”

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had blacklisted Atlas Holding for being owned or controlled by the Martyrs Foundation, as well as senior Atlas official Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi, and 10 Atlas-affiliated companies.

Jawad Nur-al-Din and Sheikh Yusuf Aasi were also designated for being leaders or officials of the Martyrs Foundation, which was designated for supporting terrorism in July 2007. Mirath S.A.L., which is owned or controlled by Jawad Nur-al-Din, was also designated.

Hezbollah put the Lebanese banking sector at risk through its deep coordination with Jammal Trust Bank, which was designated as an SDGT in August 2019. Atlas Holding — a company controlled by the Martyrs Foundation and subordinate to Hezbollah’s Executive Council — along with several of its subsidiaries banked freely at Jammal Trust Bank despite their open affiliation with previously designated Hezbollah entities.

In fact, Jammal Trust Bank facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions through the Lebanese financial system on behalf of Atlas Holding and its subsidiaries, and aided Hezbollah officials in evading scrutiny on these accounts from Lebanese banking authorities, said the Treasury.

As a result, all property of those targeted that fall under US jurisdiction must be blocked and reported to OFAC, whose rules generally bar all US persons from dealing with them. Further, those blacklisted are subject to secondary sanctions under which OFAC can penalize foreign financial institutions which deal with them.

Hezbollah was designated by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in October 1997.



Israel Sends Negotiators to Cairo to Extend Phase-one of Gaza Ceasefire

 Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
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Israel Sends Negotiators to Cairo to Extend Phase-one of Gaza Ceasefire

 Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Israel announced on Thursday it was sending negotiators to Cairo for talks, seeking to extend a first phase of a ceasefire due to expire in two days, in the apparent aim of securing the release of more hostages while delaying any final deal on Gaza's future.

The announcement came after Hamas handed over four bodies of hostages, the last due to be released under the terms of the six-week first phase of the ceasefire that started on January 19. Talks have yet to begin on a second phase that would ultimately lead to a permanent end to the war.

Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters in Jerusalem the delegation would travel to Egypt to see whether there was common ground to negotiate an extension to the truce.

"We said we are ready to make the framework longer in return to release more hostages. If it is possible, we'll do that."

Two government officials told Reuters that Israel was seeking to extend the initial phase, with Hamas freeing three hostages each week in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.

The warring sides have not spelled out what would happen beyond Saturday if the first phase of the ceasefire expires with no agreement. Egypt and Qatar are mediating between Israel and Hamas, with the backing of the United States.

The initial phase of the ceasefire included the handover of 33 Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli jails. Fighting was paused and Israeli troops withdrew from some positions in Gaza.

Talks over the second phase, intended to secure the release of the remaining hostages and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, had been meant to start earlier this month.

Israel's government faces public pressure to stick to the ceasefire to free remaining hostages, while some within the right-wing government want to return to war to fulfil their objective of eradicating Hamas.