U.S. House Committee OKs New Hizbullah Sanctions

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, chaired by Republican Representative Ed Royce, on Thursday passed a bill to further sanction Hizbullah, according to a statement posted on its website.

“Hizbullah and Iran are reportedly introducing game-changing facilities into the region – independent factories that can produce rockets to be used against Israel and our allies. We also have reports of missile factories opening up in Lebanon near mosques, homes, hospitals, and schools,” Royce noted.

“It is clear that Hizbullah intends to increase their exploitation of Lebanese civilians as defenseless human shields. So today the Committee is taking action against Hizbullah and its sponsor Iran, by passing legislation that tightens the screws on Hizbullah’s financial operations globally,” Royce added.

According to Lebanon's MTV, the bill authorizes U.S. President Donald Trump to freeze the assets of “high-ranking Lebanese political figures who deal with Hizbullah.”

“The first legislation targets Hizbullah's ability to raise funds and deprives it of access to the international financial system and the financial institutions,” MTV said.

“It also increases pressure on Lebanese and foreign banks that deal with Hizbullah and its leadership,” the TV network added.

A second bill slaps sanctions on Hizbullah for “violating human rights in the July 2006 war through using civilians as human shields,” MTV said.