Israel Claims Hezbollah Stores Wealth Under Beirut Hospital

On October 21, Israel alleged that Hezbollah is hiding hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold in a bunker located under Al-Sahel Hospital in Beirut. Despite these claims, the Israeli military stated it would refrain from targeting the hospital amid ongoing airstrikes aimed at the group's financial assets.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari reported that this intelligence has been collected over several years. He also revealed that the Israeli army has recently eliminated the commander responsible for funding Hezbollah. The unnamed individual was killed in Syria and led Hezbollah's Unit 4400, which manages financial transfers from Iran through oil sales.

Hagari stated that the bunker was constructed under the direction of Hezbollah's former leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed last month. He claimed that the bunker is designed for long-term occupancy and contains "hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold."

He urged the Lebanese government and international organizations to prevent Hezbollah from using these funds to support terrorist activities against Israel. “I’m calling on the Lebanese government, Lebanese authorities, and international organizations—don’t allow Hezbollah to use the money for terror and to attack Israel,” Hagari emphasized. He confirmed that the Israeli Air Force is monitoring the compound but reassured that the hospital itself would not be targeted.

Despite this, Hagari noted that further attacks on Hezbollah's financial infrastructure would continue.

In response to these accusations, Fadi Alameh, the director of Al-Sahel Hospital and a Lebanese lawmaker, strongly denied the claims. In a statement, he called the allegations false and slanderous. Alameh mentioned that the hospital is currently being evacuated and urged the Lebanese Army to inspect the premises to confirm that it only contains patients, operating rooms, and a morgue.

This situation follows an announcement from Israeli Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi, indicating that around 30 sites affiliated with Hezbollah, including Al-Qard al-Hassan—considered the group's financial arm—were targeted by Israeli forces overnight.

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