The explosion that targeted BLOM bank threatens Lebanon’s social and economic stability, Independence Movement leader Michel Moawad said Tuesday, describing the bombing as an attack on the Lebanese people.

“It is up to security forces to determine whether the political campaign against the Central Bank governor and the banking sector is connected to the terrorist attack or whether a third a party is responsible for the bombing,” Moawad said following a meeting with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

Regardless of whether this connection exists, Moawad argued that the “attack on BLOM bank targets not only the banking sector but also our economy, stability, financial security and social safety net.”

“The banking sector is financing the payment of public wages, supporting farmers, school and university teachers as well as hard-working Lebanese across the country. The campaign against the banking sector targets people in Nabatiyeh, Akkar, the Bekaa and Beirut. It is campaign targeting 5 million Lebanese who would suffer if the banking sector hadn’t pumped $100 billion into the economy to support the private and public sector,” Moawad said.

In the absence of a head state and amid paralysis in state institutions, the Lebanese army and legitimate security forces on the one hand, and the Central Bank and the banking sector on the other, represent the two pillars that support Lebanon, Moawad said.

“Dealing a blow to one of these two pillars will drag Lebanon into chaos,” Moawad warned, urging the country’s politicians and officials to take swift measures to resolve the issue.

“The law that was passed by the U.S. congress has a direct impact on our economy and banking system. Thus, we have a responsibility, as Lebanese, to limit this impact by reaching an agreement over a united stance toward this issue. The true and permanent solution, however, requires Hezbollah to refrain from engaging in military and financial activities beyond Lebanese borders and to halt its operations as a cross-border militia throughout Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, the Gulf, Latin America, Africa and Australia,” Moawad said.