On the 21st (local time), the Israeli military carried out an airstrike targeting Damascus, the capital of Syria, killing a Hezbollah official from Lebanon who was receiving funds from Iran.
According to Syria's state-run SANA news agency, at around 5:17 p.m. that day, a civilian car in the Mazeh area of Damascus was struck by an Israeli airstrike, resulting in 2 deaths and 3 injuries. Syria's state TV reported that "the car was hit by a guided missile attack." AFP news agency reported that the explosion's shock also caused partial damage to a nearby hotel building.
According to the Times of Israel, Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesperson for the Israeli military, confirmed the airstrike on Syria during a briefing that day. Hagari stated that the head of Hezbollah's financial department, who was responsible for receiving funds from Iran and sending them to Hezbollah, was killed.
The Israeli military has been tightening its offensive by targeting Hezbollah's financial sources, including airstrikes on about 30 facilities related to Hezbollah-linked financial institution 'Al-Qard Al-Hasan' across Lebanon the previous day. The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that it designated Al-Qard Al-Hasan as a terrorist organization that day. Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said, "(Al-Qard Al-Hasan) receives funds from Iran, provides loans, and ultimately finances Hezbollah terrorism."
The Mazeh area, which was struck by the Israeli airstrike that day, is densely populated with Syrian security agency headquarters and various embassies. In April, the Israeli military repeatedly bombed this area, including an airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Syria, killing high-ranking commanders such as Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander of the IRGC Quds Force.
Meanwhile, Amos Hochstein, senior advisor to the White House and U.S. President Joe Biden's Middle East envoy, visited Lebanon that day and urged Israel and Hezbollah to cease hostilities. After meeting with Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Hochstein said at a press conference, "The United States wants to end this conflict as soon as possible, and this is also what President Biden desires."
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