The United Nations on Monday condemned airstrikes that Israel claimed had targeted the militant group Hezbollah's financial system in Lebanon.
Citing "extensive damage to civilian objects," the UN Human Rights Office in the Middle East and North Africa on Monday released a statement reading: "We condemn the heavy Israeli bombardment of various urban and residential areas ... which the IDF (Israeli military) says targeted various facilities affiliated with the Al-Qard Al-Hassan financial association."
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari had previously announced: "One of our main targets last night was an underground vault with millions of dollars in cash and gold. The money was being used to finance Hezbollah's attacks on Israel."
More than a dozen sites tied to the Iran-backed Islamists' finance system were hit in strikes carried out across Lebanon on Sunday. "International humanitarian law must be always respected," the UN wrote-. "Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not a target."
While calling for a cease-fire, the UN office spoke of "indescribable panic and another wave of displacement among [Beirut] residents." Israel's bombing campaign came two weeks after Israel assassinated an individual it called "Hezbollah's finance minister."
Israel has said that it is now focused on Hezbollah's finance system after having killed most of the group's top political and military leaders.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel shortly after Hamas militants in Gaza carried out the deadly October 7 terror attacks that preceded the current war.
