Hezbollah's hidden fortune: $500M bunker uncovered in Beirut
Hezbollah has allegedly built a bunker under a hospital in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, hiding over $500 million in gold and cash, claims the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. He stated that the military would not bomb the facility, although the hospital director had ordered its evacuation.
7:17 AM EDT, October 22, 2024
"This money could help rebuild Lebanon, but it has been allocated to strengthen Hezbollah," said Hagari. The statement from the spokesperson, posted on social media, included a graphic showing the location of the bunker and the entrances to the facility.
Hagari noted that the bunker, built deliberately under the hospital, previously served as one of the hideouts for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed at the end of September in an Israeli airstrike. "The hideout has now been converted into Hezbollah's main treasury, where most of the terrorist organization's funds are hidden," claims the Israeli forces' spokesperson.
Hospital director Fadi Alameh, in an interview with Reuters, denied the Israeli military's accusations and called on the Lebanese army to inspect the facility. He simultaneously ordered its evacuation.
"Israel will continue attacks on Hezbollah's financial institutions," Hagari announced in turn.
Israel's attack: striking Lebanon and Beirut
On the night from Sunday to Monday, Israel attacked about 30 targets associated with the Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hasan, as previously reported by the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces, Gen. Herzi Halevi. Media reported that Israeli fighter jets and drones struck facilities across Lebanon, including in Beirut.
Hagari added that during the day on Monday, in an attack on the Syrian capital, Damascus, an unnamed Hezbollah official responsible for transferring funds to the group from Iran was killed. According to Israelis, the man had been performing his duties for only a few weeks because his predecessor was also killed in an Israeli attack.
On Monday evening, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli military, Col. Avichay Adraee, warned the residents of the southern suburb of Beirut to evacuate immediately from the vicinity of several buildings used by Hezbollah.
A few minutes later, a heavy airstrike began near the Rafic Hariri University Hospital, reported Reuters. According to its sources, at least three people were killed in the attack, which destroyed the hospital's parking lot.
