Hezbollah's hidden fortune: $500m bunker beneath Beirut hospital
- Hezbollah has constructed a bunker beneath a hospital in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, where the group is concealing over $500 million in gold and cash. This was announced by Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, on Monday evening.
22 October 2024 07:28
Israel has accused Hezbollah of hiding over $500 million in gold and cash in a secret bunker beneath the al-Sahel hospital in southern Beirut, according to the "New York Post".
The spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, stated that the bunker is linked to the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah's private bunker under the hospital
- The bunker was deliberately placed under the hospital and contains more than half a billion dollars in cash and gold, Hagari asserted. - This money could have been used to rebuild Lebanon, but instead, it is being used to bolster Hezbollah, he added.
Hagari explained that the bunker is connected to the hospital via a shaft and extends to another building a few yards away.
Nonetheless, the IDF does not plan to attack the hospital and has even invited the Lebanese authorities to inspect the site.
- I urge the Lebanese government, the Lebanese authorities, and international organisations not to allow Hezbollah to use this money for terrorism and attacks against Israel, Hagari appealed.
Evacuation of the hospital as Beirut prepares for another Israeli attack
The director of the hospital, Fadi Alameh, denied the accusations and announced the evacuation of the facility. He also invited the Lebanese army to visit the hospital to disprove the IDF's claims.
Meanwhile, another IDF spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, warned Lebanese civilians to leave several districts in southern Beirut. "You are near facilities and interests belonging to Hezbollah, which the Israeli army will soon attack," wrote Adraee on platform X.
The IDF accuses Hezbollah of conducting terrorist activities in civilian areas, complicating military operations. Israel has announced its intention to dismantle Hezbollah's finances to secure a lasting defeat and has carried out airstrikes on financial institutions linked to the organisation across Lebanon.
Similar accusations have previously been made against Hamas in Gaza, where the IDF claimed that the organisation concealed terrorist infrastructure in civilian facilities, such as hospitals.
