New Delhi: The Israeli military has leveled serious accusations against Hezbollah, claiming the militant group is storing hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold in a bunker located under a hospital in Beirut. Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari made the explosive allegations during a televised briefing on Monday, identifying the facility as Al-Sahel Hospital in the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital.
Hezbollah’s Alleged Gold and Cash Stash Beneath Al-Sahel Hospital
According to Hagari, Hezbollah’s secret vault, located beneath Al-Sahel Hospital, remains untouched by Israeli strikes. “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. Where is the bunker located? Directly under Al-Sahel Hospital in the heart of Beirut,” he stated. The Israeli military claims the stash is being used to fund Hezbollah’s operations, including their ongoing attacks against Israel.
Hospital Chief Refutes Israeli Claims, Calls for Inspection
In a swift rebuttal, Fadi Alameh, head of Al-Sahel Hospital and a Lebanese lawmaker allied with Hezbollah’s partner, Amal, strongly denied Israel’s accusations. He declared the allegations false, emphasizing that the hospital was still functioning despite the volatile situation, though medical staff from the emergency department the only unit still operational were being evacuated. Alameh even offered for the Lebanese army or international observers to inspect the hospital to debunk Israel’s claims, accusing the Israeli military of targeting civilians through such accusations.
Israeli Forces Strike Hezbollah Financial Vaults
Despite sparing the hospital for now, the Israeli Air Force has ramped up its campaign against Hezbollah’s financial network, carrying out precision strikes on over two dozen Hezbollah sites. Among the key targets was an underground bunker said to contain tens of millions of dollars in cash and gold. According to Hagari, these funds were being used to bankroll Hezbollah’s escalating attacks on Israel. “The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of precise strikes on these Hezbollah financial strongholds… One of our main targets last night was an underground vault with tens of millions of dollars in cash and gold,” he explained.
However, Hagari did not specify whether all the money was destroyed in the strike, leaving some uncertainty around the extent of the damage to Hezbollah’s financial assets.
Heightened Tensions Amid Israel-Hezbollah Conflict
These recent airstrikes mark an intensification of Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah, following months of cross-border skirmishes that have escalated into a full-blown conflict since late September. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, has been at the center of these confrontations, and Israel’s latest actions suggest a broader effort to dismantle the group’s financial infrastructure amid the ongoing hostilities.
As the conflict intensifies, with both military and financial targets in Israel’s sights, the situation in Lebanon continues to grow increasingly tense, with Hezbollah’s deep-rooted influence and Israel’s expanding campaign setting the stage for further escalation.
