The US District Court for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment filed against Samuel Salman El Reda, an alleged Hezbollah operative. El Reda is being charged for his involvement in the bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina, dating back to over three decades ago.
Hezbollah, translating to the “Party of God”, is a militant group originating from Lebanon, formulated post the 1982 invasion of Lebanon by Israel. The group garners significant backing from the Iranian government.
The indictment spans over 20 pages, and it outlines the bombing incident that took place in 1994 at the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, a Jewish community center situated in Buenos Aires. According to the US government, El Reda offered assistance to Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), which is recognized as a terrorist organization in the US, UK, and Israel, among other locations.
The charges level against El Reda comprises of conspiracy to provide material support to Hezbollah, which directly contravenes 18 USC § 2339A. This section criminalizes offering support in any form to a designated terrorist organization. The indictment suggests that El Reda knowingly consented to tendering “Hezbollah with tangible and intangible properties, training services, professional advice, and assistance, and personnel.”
Furthermore, El Reda is facing charges related to aiding and abetting, which involves providing support towards the military-style training schedules of Hezbollah (18 USC § 2339D). The indictment cites that El Reda is implicated in organizing loop-work training within Hezbollah, enabling entities within the organization to master the deployment of weapons and military tactics.
Throughout the Israel-Hamas war, Hezbollah has been reported to support Hamas. This resulted in clashes with Israel, leading to the displacement of over 4000 individuals in southern Lebanon.