Hezbollah’s policies aggravate suffering.. Details of armed robbery of a Lebanese Bank

Lebanon today witnessed multiple events, due to the economic deterioration, the declaration of bankruptcy, and the spread of poverty among citizens as a result of the policies of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. A gunman broke into a Lebanese bank in the Hamra area, and forcibly detained employees and some customers.

On social media, Lebanese circulated videos showing the gunman threatening a bank employee with his automatic weapon.

According to security sources, the gunman claimed his deposit, which is valued at more than $200,000, in a new episode of financial institutions’ problems since the beginning of the economic collapse.

The security source said: “The detained gunman managed to enter the bank with a hunting rifle and flammable materials, threatening employees unless he received his money,” he said.

The source added: “The man, in his 40s, poured gasoline throughout the bank and closed his entrance, detaining the employees,” he said, expressing his anger at the countries’ economic policies.

Lebanese security forces then imposed a tight cordon outside the Federal Bank, trying to negotiate with the angry depositor to open the bank and release the staff.

The official National News Agency said the suspect “threatened to set himself on fire and kill those in the branch, as he pointed his weapon in the face of the branch director”.

A video shared on social media shows two people negotiating behind the Iron Bank door with the depositor being called Bassam, speaking nervously and holding a gun and a cigarette in another hand, refusing to release any staff members, while a negotiator asks him to allow the exit of two depositors inside the bank.

Lebanon has been suffering from a severe economic crisis since 2019, when the World Bank classified it among the worst in the world since 1850. Similar incidents occurred when banks imposed severe restrictions on deposit withdrawals, especially in dollars. Depositors were unable to manage their money, especially in dollars, while deposits in local currency lost their value as the lira fell more than 90% against the dollar.

In the past two years, bank waiting rooms have been the scene of repeated disputes between angry citizens who want to obtain their deposits and employees who comply with the instructions of their administrations. Meanwhile, the Bank of Lebanon issues circulars from time to time to absorb depositors’ resentment, allowing them to withdraw part of their dollar deposits within a certain ceiling.