Israel has revealed intelligence claiming that Hezbollah has a secret financial hub under a Beirut hospital. The bunker under the hospital contains hundreds of millions in cash and gold to fund its operations, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). This came to light following a series of targeted airstrikes conducted by the Israeli Air Force on Sunday night
“Tonight, I am going to declassify intelligence on a site that we did not strike-where Hezbollah has millions of dollars in gold and cash in Hassan Nasrallah's bunker. The bunker is located directly under Al-Sahel Hospital in the heart of Beirut,” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a TV briefing.
Noting that the site had not been struck yet, he added, “According to estimates, there is at least half a billion dollars in dollar bills and gold stored in this bunker. This money could and still can be used to rebuild the state of Lebanon.”
Hagari further claimed that a key target was an underground vault holding tens of millions in cash and gold, allegedly funding attacks on Israel.
Sunday night's airstrikes hit nearly 30 Hezbollah-linked locations, including sites run by Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH), a financial firm tied to Hezbollah. Although AQAH is registered as a charity, both Israel and the U.S. accuse it of being Hezbollah’s financial arm, providing access to cash and gold reserves for military use.
Lebanon's Health Ministry says the death toll from an Israeli strike near one of Beirut's main hospitals has climbed to 13, with dozens more wounded.
The airstrike late Monday hit a building facing the main government hospital in the capital. The ministry said Tuesday that 57 other people were wounded in the strike. Footage circulating on social media showed that the strikes hit close to the hospital's entrance.
Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians.
(With agency inputs)
