In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Israel has revealed intelligence alleging that Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia, maintains a clandestine financial hub concealed beneath a prominent Beirut hospital. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), this underground bunker, located directly beneath Al-Sahel Hospital in the heart of Beirut, houses an estimated half a billion dollars in cash and gold.
The IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, made the startling revelation during a televised briefing, stating that the site had not been targeted in recent airstrikes. “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,” he stated.
Hagari went on to explain that the money stored within this secret bunker allegedly serves as a vital lifeline for Hezbollah’s operations, including financing attacks against Israel. Furthermore, he asserted that these funds could be used to facilitate the reconstruction of Lebanon, a nation grappling with an ongoing economic crisis.
This revelation came in the wake of a series of targeted airstrikes conducted by the Israeli Air Force on Sunday night, hitting nearly 30 locations linked to Hezbollah, including those operated by Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH). While AQAH is officially registered as a charitable organization, both Israel and the United States accuse it of acting as Hezbollah’s financial arm, providing access to its substantial cash and gold reserves for military purposes.
Adding to the escalating crisis, the death toll from an Israeli strike near a Beirut hospital has risen to 13, with dozens more wounded. The strike, which occurred on Monday evening, targeted a building facing the main government hospital in the capital. Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed that 57 individuals sustained injuries during the incident. Footage circulating on social media shows the strikes hitting dangerously close to the hospital’s entrance. Despite these casualties, Israel maintains its policy of targeting only militants while striving to minimize civilian harm.
The revelation of Hezbollah’s secret financial hub has further intensified the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Lebanon-based militia. It remains to be seen how this discovery will impact the ongoing tensions and the future course of events in the volatile region.