Defense Minister Benny Gantz signs administrative orders to seize the assets of three Lebanese companies that Israel accuses of supplying materials to advance Hezbollah’s efforts to manufacture precision missiles.
“Hezbollah are endangering the citizens of Lebanon and the State of Lebanon. We will continue to offer humanitarian assistance to the citizens and act resolutely in the face of the Iranian precision project operating from the heart of Lebanon,” Gantz says in a statement from his office.
Hezbollah fighters hold their group’s flag as they stand in front of a statue of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and swear their oath of allegiance to him, during a ceremony to mark the second anniversary of his assassination, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on January 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
According to the statement, it is the second time defense official have issued such an order in recent months, joining a seizure order signed in August.
It names the three companies as TOUFALI, MOUBAYED and BARAKAT, which it says maintain ongoing trade with Hezbollah, focused on “machines, oils and ventilation systems” required for the terror group’s “production line and the precision project in particular.”
Israel alleges that Hezbollah, which already possesses many thousands of rockets aimed at Israeli population centers, has been endeavoring, with the help of its patron Iran, to manufacture more precise missiles in Lebanon.
Gantz’s announcement comes days after he came under criticism for saying that Israel had offered to assist the Lebanese Army several times in recent months.
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