In a striking revelation on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have uncovered a hidden Hezbollah bunker filled with millions of dollars in cash and gold beneath a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. During a televised briefing, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari declassified intelligence on Hezbollah’s financial network and detailed the group’s use of hidden funds to fuel its operations.
Hagari revealed that the bunker, located directly under Al-Sahel Hospital, was part of Hezbollah’s elaborate financial system, used to fund attacks on Israel. “Our strikes will degrade Hezbollah’s ability to finance its attacks on Israelis,” Hagari said, underscoring that Hezbollah had deliberately placed the bunker in a residential area, making it difficult for Israel to target without risking civilian lives.
The IDF had already struck 15 branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, Hezbollah’s financial arm, late Sunday in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, according to the Associated Press. Al-Qard Al-Hassan is under international sanctions, including those by the United States, for violating global law and aiding Hezbollah’s illicit financial activities.
While the bunker beneath Al-Sahel Hospital was not struck, Hagari emphasized that Israel is closely monitoring it. “We are not at war with the people of Lebanon,” he stressed. “We are at war with Hezbollah.” He called on the Lebanese government and international organizations to prevent Hezbollah from using the hidden funds for terror activities.
The financial network includes cash transfers through Syria and gold sent to Hezbollah via the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. Factories in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Turkey allegedly generate further income for the group. Hezbollah’s financial management unit, led by Jafar Ksir until his recent death in an Israeli strike, controls these operations.
Israel has indicated plans for further strikes against Hezbollah’s financial strongholds as the ongoing conflict between the two forces escalates.
(With inputs from Associated Press)