The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday said an underground bunker was found beneath a Beirut hospital following a night of airstrikes that targeted Hezbollah’s financial network.
During a press briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the bunker contained “at least $500 million in cash and gold.”
“The funds stored here could have been used to rebuild Lebanon, but instead, they are used to rebuild Hezbollah,” he said.
IDF aircraft continue to monitor the site. Hagari called on Lebanese citizens, the Lebanese government, and international organizations to prevent Hezbollah from storing money under hospitals.
Following the IDF’s claims, the hospital director, Fadi Alameh, told Reuters that the hospital had been evacuated and denied the allegations, calling on the Lebanese army to investigate the site.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
Update: 10/21/24, 5:47 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
Ambulances and paramedics carry people wounded in Israeli bombing of Beirut to Al-Sahel Hospital. The IDF revealed that former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s bunker located in Dahieh, southern Beirut, was situated beneath the Al-Sahel Hospital.
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