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UNDOF Raises Flag at Former Syrian Site Opposite Israeli Base

Israeli armored vehicles conduct a maneuver in the buffer zone after crossing the security fence near the demarcation line between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria last December (AP).
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UNDOF Raises Flag at Former Syrian Site Opposite Israeli Base

Israeli armored vehicles conduct a maneuver in the buffer zone after crossing the security fence near the demarcation line between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria last December (AP).

A local source in the village of Kudna in southern Quneitra province, southern Syria, said that the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), a peacekeeping mission tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria, raised its flag in an area opposite a base previously established by the Israeli army.

The source suggested that UNDOF may have set up a monitoring point in the area, amid local concerns that Israel’s presence in Syrian towns and villages along the ceasefire line could evolve into a permanent occupation.

Mohammad Ahmed al-Tahan told Asharq Al-Awsat that the western part of Kudna has witnessed UNDOF military movements, with soldiers arriving in armored vehicles and UNDOF transport to a former Syrian army military site, where they raised the UN flag.

Al-Tahan noted that the location where the flag was raised is only a few hundred meters from the Israeli base established in Tel Ahmar West after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

He added that UNDOF patrols conducted several rounds over the past two days, covering both Tel Ahmar West and Tel Ahmar East, which are administratively part of Kudna.

Al-Tahan said that Israel’s base in Tel Ahmar West has seen heavy military activity over the past two days, with troops and vehicles from the occupied Golan Heights arriving.

He said local residents find UNDOF’s movements “unclear” and speculated that they may be establishing a monitoring point.

Asharq Al-Awsat sought comment from a UN or diplomatic source in Damascus on UNDOF’s actions but was unable to obtain a response.

However, journalist and local activist Omar al-Hariri wrote on X that raising the flags over the site west of Kudna is a routine UNDOF procedure during inspections, as the location is a former Syrian army barracks.

He said that, to date, there has been no change in Israeli positions or any operational role for UNDOF following the deployment of Israeli troops in the buffer zone.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced that a delegation led by the commander of the 40th Division, Brigadier General Binyan al-Hariri, met with UNDOF Commander Major General Anita Asmah and her accompanying delegation.

 

The ministry said on its Telegram channel that the meeting focused on enhancing joint cooperation and developing field coordination mechanisms to support UN peacekeeping missions and promote security and stability along the separation lines.

These developments coincide with daily Israeli army incursions into towns and villages in Quneitra and Daraa provinces along the ceasefire line.=

The Quneitra Media Center reported that Israeli forces advanced along the road connecting the villages of Abu Ghara and Suwayseh in southern Quneitra, establishing two checkpoints, fully closing the road, and preventing civilians from passing.

Residents of towns and villages along the ceasefire line, where Israeli troops have advanced and established bases, fear this could turn into a permanent occupation, al-Tahan said.

Strategic military analyst and defected Colonel Ahmed Mohammad Deeb Hamadeh told Asharq Al-Awsat that the 1974 disengagement agreement mandated the presence of UN forces from Mount Hermon in northern Quneitra to the Yarmouk Valley in the south, operating in a buffer zone to oversee the ceasefire.

Hamadeh said UNDOF raising its flag in Kudna marks the start of the UN force resuming its role in the area, in line with the 1974 agreement and UN resolutions calling for a UN presence to separate the fighting forces.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, Israel has targeted Syrian military sites to destroy them and prevent the rehabilitation of their infrastructure, while conducting ground incursions in the Damascus, Quneitra, and Daraa countryside.

Israel has taken control of the buffer zone along the Syrian-Israeli border, established several military bases, and carried out raids in border areas, including arrests.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told the Washington Post that US President Donald Trump supports Syria’s position on Israel withdrawing from territories it occupied after December 8.

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Arab World

Ongoing Strikes in Iraq Expose Political, Security Divisions

Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's PMF, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's PMF, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Ongoing Strikes in Iraq Expose Political, Security Divisions

Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's PMF, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's PMF, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Strikes targeting armed groups in Iraq are continuing amid the US-Israel war on Iran, piling pressure on decision-makers in Baghdad to maintain a unified stance even as factions declare their participation in the fighting alongside Tehran.

Over the past two weeks, the Iraqi government has repeatedly called for “distinguishing targets” and avoiding “mixing up the cards,” a reference to the need not to target Iraqi state institutions or official forces. The stance clashes with announcements by prominent armed factions declaring their involvement in military operations supporting Iran.

Those factions include Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya. In statements, they said “collaborators” were providing coordinates to what they described as the “enemy.”

Akram al-Kaabi, leader of Harakat al-Nujaba, said in a statement that recent strikes resulted from information provided by “informants,” without identifying them.

A leader in one of the factions fighting alongside Iran, however, claimed the person in question could be linked to a security agency.

Popular Mobilization sites

According to faction statements, some recent strikes targeted sites linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a security institution that includes several brigades affiliated with armed factions.

Observers say strikes on PMF-linked sites, alongside locations belonging to other factions, have created confusion in the political discourse over the nature of the targets and whether the strikes are aimed at specific factions or at an official security structure.

The Iraqi presidency and the prime minister’s office issued statements in recent days stressing the need to avoid dragging Iraq into the regional conflict, while reaffirming their rejection of using Iraqi territory as an arena for settling scores.

Political divisions

At the same time, divisions are widening among the armed factions themselves and between some factions and the government. Analysts say the rifts appear on two levels: military, over the extent of involvement in the war, and political, over the future of power in Baghdad.

Some factions have announced direct participation in military operations. Others have limited themselves to statements of support for Iran, while a third group has remained silent, awaiting developments in the confrontation.

The divisions are also visible within the Coordination Framework alliance, which includes the main Shiite political forces, particularly over the selection of the next prime minister.

Government formation

Iraqi politicians say the regional military escalation is further complicating an already deadlocked political scene, with parties still unable to agree on a new prime minister.

Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is the declared candidate of the Coordination Framework alliance. But sources say international objections, including from the United States, are hindering his nomination to form a government.

According to those sources, Maliki has stipulated that if he withdraws from the race, neither the current Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, nor the former Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, should be tasked with forming the government.

Analysts say rising regional tensions could push some political forces to exploit the war to strengthen their negotiating positions inside Iraq, particularly as pressure on Tehran grows, and prospects for regional understandings that previously influenced power arrangements in Baghdad diminish.

Additional complications

The picture is further complicated by ongoing disagreements among Kurdish parties over who should be named the presidential candidate. Under the constitution, the president appoints the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc to form the government.

Observers say delays by Kurdish parties in agreeing on a presidential candidate are effectively obstructing the formation of a new government, while some political forces are using the delay to justify postponing a decision on the premiership.

Tensions have also risen after reports that areas in the Kurdistan region were struck in connection with the escalation between armed factions and their opponents, potentially adding a new dimension to political disputes between Baghdad and Erbil.

Arab World

Hezbollah-linked Financial Institution Faces Systematic Israeli Military Campaign

Part of the building struck by an Israeli air strike in the Bashoura area, where the Israeli military said Hezbollah stores money beneath it (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the building struck by an Israeli air strike in the Bashoura area, where the Israeli military said Hezbollah stores money beneath it (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Hezbollah-linked Financial Institution Faces Systematic Israeli Military Campaign

Part of the building struck by an Israeli air strike in the Bashoura area, where the Israeli military said Hezbollah stores money beneath it (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the building struck by an Israeli air strike in the Bashoura area, where the Israeli military said Hezbollah stores money beneath it (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, a financial institution linked to Hezbollah, is facing a systematic military campaign as part of what appears to be a renewed Israeli strategy aimed at undermining the group’s economic infrastructure and cutting off its funding sources.

After the association’s branches were targeted during the 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, the institution has once again become a primary target in the current conflict.

The renewed campaign appears aimed at eliminating its role entirely, after it resumed operations following the previous war.

Ongoing campaign

In addition to years of political pressure and sanctions, the Israeli army targeted several of the association’s branches in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon during the 2024 war, making the institution part of a broader multi-level confrontation involving military strikes, financial sanctions and political pressure.

During the 66-day war, most of the association’s branches were hit by Israeli air strikes. Despite this, the institution was able to resume operations after the ceasefire and continued to provide financial services.

Hezbollah also used the association to distribute aid and compensation to people affected by the war through checks issued in the group’s name. The group attempted to circumvent sanctions through an entity it called the Joud Foundation, intended to serve similar financial purposes.

But in February, the United States imposed sanctions on it, saying it was being used to ensure the flow of funds from Iran to Hezbollah.

Attempt to eliminate it completely

In the current war, Israel has intensified its strikes against the association in a systematic manner. The Israeli military has clearly stated that all Al-Qard Al-Hasan branches are considered targets, a pledge it has carried out through strikes on most buildings housing its offices.

This has become a source of concern for residents, particularly because many of the association’s offices are located in residential buildings. Residents have therefore demanded that the offices be closed.

Lebanese security authorities have attempted to limit losses resulting from attacks on the association’s branches.

In this context, a decision was taken to close its branch in Sidon, southern Lebanon, and remove its sign on Thursday, following demands from business owners and institutions on the street and in neighboring buildings.

Authorities also evacuated the association’s branch building in Beirut’s Noueiri district on Friday following a decision by the interior minister.

It is also clear that the Israeli army is no longer only pursuing the association’s branches but also money storage facilities. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Thursday, after a strike on a building in the Bashoura area near central Beirut, that Hezbollah had hidden millions of dollars beneath the civilian building to fund its “terrorist activities.”

He added that the site was guarded by armed men and that access to the storage facility was through the building’s parking lot.

While Israeli strikes in 2024 failed to destroy what is often described as “Hezbollah’s central bank,” Israel, which views the association as a central element in financing Hezbollah’s activities and harmful to the Lebanese economy in the service of Iranian interests, now appears intent on weakening it fundamentally.

The goal appears to be depriving the group of one of its most important sources of economic and social influence in Lebanon.

Drying up resources a long and complex process

However, financial and economic affairs researcher Professor Maroun Khater said it is unlikely that Al-Qard Al-Hasan could be completely eliminated.

“Experience shows that such networks are often capable of adapting and finding alternative channels, which makes the process of cutting off resources long and complex,” Khater told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“For this reason, it is difficult to conclude that the blows suffered by Al-Qard Al-Hasan have led to the complete collapse of Hezbollah’s financial system, due both to the nature of the association itself and the diversity of funding sources that international reports say the group relies on.”

Khater added that despite the pressure, the association relies on a broad social network of depositors and borrowers who have used its services as an alternative to the traditional banking system, even before Lebanon’s banking sector effectively collapsed in 2019.

“This social base, along with political and security protection, has given it a certain capacity to endure, albeit within a limited scope, and has so far allowed it room to reorganize its activities whenever it is hit,” he said.

Fate of funds unclear

Khater also stressed that it would be simplistic to view the association as Hezbollah’s only source of funding.

Research centers and international institutions estimate that the group’s financing relies on a mix of sources, including foreign support, local economic networks, and donations, as well as various financial and commercial activities.

Some resources are also believed to move through individuals or private institutions that may remain outside full regulatory oversight, whether inside Lebanon or abroad.

For this reason, Khater said, it remains difficult to determine the true scale of the wealth accumulated by Hezbollah over past decades or to know what has happened to portions of its funds, gold reserves or other assets.

A parallel banking system under pressure

The Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association was founded in 1983 and operates more than 30 branches across Lebanon, including in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. A broad segment of the public relies on it to obtain small loans or cash liquidity in exchange for gold or other assets pledged as collateral.

As Lebanon’s financial crisis worsened after 2019, the association’s role expanded, functioning in many ways as Hezbollah’s “parallel banking system.”

While banks suspended lending, Al-Qard Al-Hasan said it had issued 212,000 loans totaling $553 million in 2020 and 2021.

The US Treasury froze the association’s assets in 2007 and imposed additional sanctions in 2021 on several individuals linked to it, accusing the organization of collecting foreign currency to help Hezbollah build a support base.

The Treasury says that although the association claims to serve the Lebanese public, it actually transfers funds illegally through fictitious accounts and intermediaries, exposing Lebanese financial institutions to potential sanctions.

Lebanese authorities have also tightened restrictions. In 2025, Lebanon’s central bank instructed banks and financial institutions not to deal with unlicensed entities subject to sanctions, including Al-Qard Al-Hasan.

Arab World

Iraq PM Vows to Prevent Attacks After French Soldier Killed

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends an event in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 9, 2024. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends an event in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 9, 2024. (Reuters)
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Iraq PM Vows to Prevent Attacks After French Soldier Killed

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends an event in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 9, 2024. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends an event in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 9, 2024. (Reuters)

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani vowed on Friday to prevent attacks after the killing of a French soldier in an attack in the autonomous Kurdistan region.

Sudani expressed his "solidarity" with France in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

He said that "the necessary measures will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents", and an investigation will be conducted into the attack.

The president of Iraq's Kurdistan region Nechirvan Barzani, in a call with Macron, also expressed his condolences and called for the Iraqi government to "set limits on outlaw groups".