Another Way To Target Hamas and Hizbullah (Updated)

By monetary if not by military means.

In Israel:

Israel cracks down on Hamas institutions

Israel has decided to increase its efforts to topple the Hamas civilian infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and, on Monday, IDF troops stormed Nablus, shutting down a girls' school, a medical center and two other facilities of a Hamas-affiliated charity.

The operation came after Defense Minister Ehud Barak signed an order banning 36 charities - based across the globe - due to the alleged assistance they provide to Hamas's terror operations.

Officials said that the order signed by Barak was the most comprehensive directive issued in Israeli history in the war on terror financing and was a continuation of previous bans imposed on the Interpal Charity in England, the Al Aqsa Fund in Europe and the Holy Land Foundation in the United States as well as other funds and charities in Holland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and France.

In New York:

NYC Lawsuit claims Lebanese banks helped enable Hezbollah to kill civilians

Dozens of Israeli victims of terrorist attacks in Israel have filed a lawsuit blaming some Lebanese banks for aiding Hezbollah and abetting its ability to kill civilians.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Thursday, seeks at least $100 million in damages on behalf of 57 victims. It notes that the Lebanese banks maintained relationships with various U.S. banks.

It said the Lebanese banks used those and other relationships to provide Hezbollah with "regular, systemic and unfettered access to U.S. currency," enabling it to buy missiles and other weapons to terrorize civilians.

...The lawsuit said a fundraising form of the organization asks donors whether they wish to fund specific items such as missiles or small arms.

In Canada:

Canadian Victims of Hizbollah Missile Attacks File Historic Civil Action Against Lebanese Canadian Bank

Canadian victims of Hizbollah terror attacks have filed an unprecedented civil action in the Quebec Superior Court (docket number 500-17-043962-086) against the Lebanese-Canadian Bank (LCB) in Montreal. The plaintiffs, all of whom were injured in Northern Israel in Katyusha rocket attacks, allege that LCB unlawfully provided financial services to the Hizbollah terrorist organization by allowing charity groups
affiliated with Hizbollah to transfer funds prior to and during the attacks on Israeli cities in 2006.

Putting terrorists on trial is not working so well either, but going after the money trail and where it leads may be more successful.

UPDATE: Media Backspin thinks this might work:

There's reason to be optimistic. In 2005, a US court fined the Jordanian-based Arab Bank $24 million for when it was caught paying "life insurance" to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.

If it works, this might be the way to go.

Technorati Tag: Hamas and Hizbullah.