H. Res. 599 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

November 1, 2023. 

Whereas, in April 1983, a Hizballah terror attack against the 

United States Embassy in Beirut killed 63 people; 

Whereas, in October 1983, a Hizballah terror attack against 

the United States Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, 

killed 241 American and 58 French servicemembers supporting the Multinational Force peacekeeping mission; 

Whereas, in July 2012, a Hizballah terror attack, carried out 

by an operative with dual Lebanese-French citizenship, in 

Burgas, Bulgaria, killed 5 Israeli tourists and 1 Bulgarian; 

Whereas, in March 2013, a Swedish-Lebanese Hizballah operative in Cyprus was convicted of planning terror attacks against Israeli tourists; 

Whereas, in June 2015, a Hizballah operative was sentenced 

to 6 years in prison after he stockpiled more than 8 tons 

of ammonium nitrate in Cyprus; 

Whereas the Hizballah International Financing Prevention 

Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–102) and the Hizballah 

International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 

2018 (Public Law 115–272) broadened financial sector 

sanctions against Hizballah to compel foreign financial 
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institutions to refrain from supporting the terrorist 

group; 

Whereas, in May 2018, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Abdullah Safi-Al-Din, Hizballah’s representative to Iran, Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi, a 

Hizballah financier, and blacklisted 5 of Bazzi’s companies, including Belgian energy services conglomerate 

Global Trading Group NV; 

Whereas, in October 2018, French police raided the Islamic 

Zahra Centre on suspicion of supporting Hizballah, freezing the organization’s funds, and seizing illegal weapons; 

Whereas, in September 2020, 4 former leaders of the Zahra 

Centre France were arrested on suspicion of continuing 

to run that association and supporting Hizballah; 

Whereas, in July 2019, the Department of the Treasury designated 2 Hizballah-backed members of Lebanese Parliament, Amin Sherri and Muhammad Hasan Ra’d, and 

Hizballah security official Wafiq Safa, stating that 

Hizballah uses its operatives in parliament to advance its 

violent activities; 

Whereas, as of April 2021, Germany believed there to be 

1,250 people with suspected links to Hizballah in the 

country; 

Whereas Europol’s June 2022 European Union Terrorism 

Situation and Trend Report outlined that Hizballah ‘‘has 

been using the EU as a base for fundraising, recruitment, and criminal activities’’, and the report also stated 

that Hizballah ‘‘is suspected of managing the transportation and distribution of illegal drugs into the EU, dealing with firearms trafficking and running professional 

money laundering operations that include the provision of 
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money laundering services for other criminal organizations’’; 

Whereas United States-led Project Cassandra and Operation 

Cedar exposed the criminal-business wing of Hizballah, 

the Business Affairs Component (BAC) of Hezbollah’s 

External Security Organization; 

Whereas, during Project Cassandra, Hizballah elements involved in drug trafficking were arrested in the United 

States, South America, and several European countries, 

including France, Belgium, Germany, and Italy; 

Whereas Hizballah’s criminal activity in Europe is run by the 

BAC, which reports to the External Security 

Organisation, also known as Unit 910, or the Islamic 

Jihad Organization, and Abdallah Safieddine, Hizballah’s 

representative in Iran, is also involved in this activity; 

Whereas, in August 2020, United Nations Secretary General 

Guterres called on Lebanon to disarm Hizballah, citing 

the terror group’s persistent violation of Resolution 1701 

(2006); 

Whereas Iran is the prime sponsor of Hizballah, harboring, 

financing, training, and arming the group; 

Whereas the Department of the Treasury and Department of 

State estimate that Iran provides as much as 

$700,000,000 per year to Hizballah in the form of financial and logistical support, weapons, and training; 

Whereas Hizballah now has an arsenal of approximately 

150,000 missiles and rockets, with increased sophistication and many of which can reach deep into Israel; 

Whereas Hizballah fighters have been supporting the Assad 

regime in Syria, often leading operations in the conflict 

which has left more than 500,000 dead; 
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Whereas Hizballah trains and provides weapons for militias 

in Iraq and Yemen, further destabilizing the region and 

perpetuating violence in those countries; 

Whereas Hizballah activities continue to plague Lebanon with 

profound economic and political instability and violence; 

Whereas Hizballah’s cross border illicit arms and drugs trafficking undermines the Lebanese Armed Forces, the legitimate security establishment of the country as outlined 

in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 

(2006); 

Whereas, in October 2012, Hizballah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem stated that ‘‘[Hizballah does not] have 

a military wing and a political one * * * Every element 

of Hizballah, from commanders to members as well as 

our various capabilities, are in the service of the resistance’’; 

Whereas the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, 

the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, 

Serbia, and Kosovo, among others, have declared 

Hizballah in its entirety as a terror organization; 

Whereas, in March 2016, the Gulf Cooperation Council formally branded Hizballah, in its entirety, a terrorist organization, and the League of Arab States shortly thereafter adopted the same designation; 

Whereas the Department of the Treasury has diligently 

added persons and entities to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists who have provided material 

support to the Hizballah terrorist organization, thereby 

hampering its financing and logistical capabilities; 
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Whereas the European Union, in July 2013, designated 

Hizballah’s so-called ‘‘military wing’’, but not the organization as a whole, as a terrorist organization; 

Whereas, despite restrictions put on Hizballah since the designation of its military wing, the group continues to conduct illicit narcotrafficking, money laundering, and weapons trafficking throughout Europe and the world; and 

Whereas the House of Representatives has previously called 

on the European Union to fully designate Hizballah as 

a terrorist organization, passing House Resolution 359 in 

October 2017 and House Resolution 558 on September 

20, 2022: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) applauds and expresses support for the continued, increased cooperation between the United States 

and the European Union (EU) in thwarting Hizballah’s 

criminal and terrorist activities; 

(2) supports transcontinental efforts within Europe 

to share intelligence information among police and security services to facilitate greater cooperation in tracking, 

apprehending, and prosecuting terrorists, foreign fighters, and potential offenders; 

(3) encourages the European Union to implement 

sanctions against Hizballah-affiliated terrorists in tandem with the United States; 

(4) recommends greater civil society engagement in 

both the United States and Europe to underscore 

Hizballah’s malign regional influence; and 
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(5) urges the European Union to designate 

Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization and 

increase pressure on the group, including through— 

(A) facilitating better cross-border cooperation 

between European Union members in combating 

Hizballah; 

(B) issuing arrest warrants against members 

and active supporters of Hizballah; 

(C) freezing Hizballah’s assets in Europe, including those masquerading as charities; and 

(D) prohibiting fundraising activities in support of Hizballah. 

Attest: 

Clerk.