Depositors held up at least five separate banks around Lebanon on Friday in an attempt to retrieve savings frozen in the banking system, a Lebanese army official told CNN. In one of
Depositors held up at least five separate banks around Lebanon on Friday in an attempt to retrieve savings frozen in the banking system, a Lebanese army official told CNN.
In one of the incidents an armed man entered a bank in the south Lebanese city of Ghazieh and poured gasoline on the floor of the building, threatening to burn the branch if he could not access his money, state news agency NNA reported.
He was able to retrieve $19,200 from the bank and handed it to someone who was waiting for him outside the bank, before handing himself in to authorities, NNA said.
In another incident under investigation, a man entered a branch of BLOM bank in Beirut’s Tariq al-Jdideh neighborhood, also trying to access his savings, the army official said.
The man was allegedly armed but the situation was “under control.. and no one was harmed,” a man, who claimed to be an eyewitness to the incident and was interviewed by local TV channel Al Jadeed said.
“It seems something was planned for this day,” the army official said. An investigation is ongoing, the army official told CNN.
Following the incidents, the caretaker Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi, called for an emergency security meeting to “discuss further security measures that can be taken in light of the increasing bank storming incidents,” NNA said.
Lebanon’s banks have locked most depositors out of their savings since an economic crisis took hold three years ago, leaving much of the population unable to pay for basics.
The holdups came two days after similar episodes unfolded at two different Beirut banks. In one, a woman named Sally Hafiz took $20,000 from her account after storming a bank holding what she later claimed was a toy gun, state news reported.
In a separate incident last month, an armed man stormed a Beirut bank and threatened to kill hostages and himself if the bank did not allow him to withdraw money from his frozen account. Bassam Sheikh Hussein claimed he needed the funds to help pay for his father’s medical expenses. The standoff ended when the bank gave Hussein some of his savings.
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Here’s a look at the life of Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel.
Birth date: September 30, 1945
Birth place: Binyamina, British Mandate Palestine (now Israel)
Birth name: Ehud Olmert
Father: Mordechai Olmert, member of the Knesset
Mother: Bella Olmert
Marriage: Aliza Olmert, artist and playwright
Children: two sons: Ariel and Shaul, and three daughters: Dana, Michal and Shuli
Education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, B.A., 1968 (psychology and philosophy), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, L.L.B., 1973 (law)
Military service: Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Combat Infantry Unit Officer
Religion: Jewish
Olmert grew up in Nahalat Jabotinsky, a village that was later incorporated into Binyamina.
Elected mayor of Jerusalem in 1993; Olmert defeated Teddy Kollek with 59% of the vote. Kollek had been mayor since 1965.
He was successfully treated for prostate cancer in 2007.
1971 – Completes military service in the IDF as a military correspondent for the journal “Bamachane.”
1973 – Becomes the youngest person ever elected to the Knesset.
1975-1978 – Practices law in a private firm.
1988-1990 – Olmert is appointed Minister without Portfolio, responsible for minority affairs, by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir.
1990-1992 – Minister of Health.
1993-2003 – Mayor of Jerusalem.
1998 – Resigns from the Knesset, in keeping with an amendment to the Basic Laws of Israel that forbids Knesset members from holding other public offices.
February 2003 – Is re-elected to the Knesset and named Vice Prime Minister. Olmert is also named Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor.
August 9, 2003-January 10, 2005 – Minister of Communication.
August 9-November 7, 2005 – Acting Minister of Finance, replacing Benjamin Netanyahu.
November 7, 2005 – Olmert is appointed Minister of Finance.
November 2005 – Leaves the Likud party and joins Ariel Sharon to form the new Kadima Party.
January 5, 2006 – Is named Acting Prime Minister after Sharon suffers a stroke.
March 28, 2006 – The Kadima party wins the largest number of parliamentary seats, ensuring that Olmert will be the next Prime Minister.
May 4, 2006 – Is sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of Israel.
May 26, 2006 – Addresses a joint meeting of the US Congress.
May 2008 – Israeli newspapers report that investigators have launched a probe into whether Olmert received money illegally while in office.
July 30, 2008 – Olmert announces he will resign as prime minister when Kadima elects a new chairman.
September 18, 2008 – Tzipi Livni becomes the leader of the Kadima Party.
September 21, 2008 – Resigns shortly after police recommend charges in corruption probes.
August 30, 2009 – Is indicted on charges including fraud and breach of trust in dual scandals called the Talansky affair and the Rishon Tours affair. The trial begins in September 2009.
January 5, 2012 – While on trial for fraud and breach of trust, Olmert is indicted for bribery in a separate case. The charge is related to three real estate projects, including a controversial housing development in Jerusalem called Holyland. The scandal becomes known as the Holyland affair.
July 10, 2012 – Olmert’s trial ends after almost three years. He is found guilty of breach of trust and acquitted on two corruption charges. He receives a one year suspended jail sentence and is ordered to pay a fine of 75,000 shekels (about $19,000).
March 31, 2014 – Is convicted of bribery charges in a trial related to the Holyland Affair. Olmert is sentenced to six years in prison and fined 1 million shekels ($289,000). His sentence is later reduced to 18 months by the Supreme Court.
August 6, 2014 – The Supreme Court orders a retrial in the Rishon Tours/Talansky case, as new evidence emerges, enabling prosecutors to challenge Olmert’s acquittals on corruption charges in 2012.
March 30, 2015 – Olmert is convicted of fraud and breach of trust in the retrial of the Rishon Tours/Talansky case. His total prison sentence for the Talansky/Rishon Tours case and the Holyland Affair is 27 months.
February 15, 2016 – Olmert arrives at prison.
July 2, 2017 – Olmert is released after serving 16 months, two-thirds of his original 27-month prison term.
September 3, 2020 – “Honorable Men,” a documentary about Olmert, premieres at Tel Aviv’s DocAviv documentary film festival.
May 6, 2021 – Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family sue Olmert for defamation.
January 10, 2022 – The defamation trial between Olmert and the Netanyahu family begins.
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