Israel claims to find $500 million in 'secret' Hezbollah bunker
What's the story
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has declassified intelligence indicating a secret financial hub of Hezbollah, underneath Beirut's Al-Sahel Hospital. The IDF claims that the bunker contains hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold. "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," IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said during a televised briefing.
Financial hub
IDF estimates over $500 million stored in Hezbollah's bunker
Despite the alleged presence of such huge money, Israel has not targeted this site. Hagari estimated that at least half a billion dollars in cash and gold are stored there. He urged Lebanese officials to inspect the facility and prevent Hezbollah from using these funds for terror activities. The IDF has previously accused Hezbollah of exploiting sensitive sites like hospitals as cover for their operations.
Airstrikes
Israeli airstrikes target Hezbollah's financial assets
The revelation comes after the Israeli Air Force carried out a string of targeted airstrikes on nearly 30 Hezbollah-linked sites. These included sites run by Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH), a financial firm which Israel and the United States accused of enabling Hezbollah to access cash and gold reserves for military purposes. One major target was an underground vault reportedly holding tens of millions of dollars to fund attacks on Israel.
Financial disruption
Israel intensifies efforts to disrupt Hezbollah's finances
The airstrikes are part of an intensified Israeli effort to disrupt Hezbollah's finances. The campaign included over 300 strikes on positions in Lebanon in a span of 24 hours. AQAH, which has been operating since the 1980s, offers credit in exchange for gold deposits but is viewed as a key asset in Hezbollah's financial network. Hagari alleged that Hezbollah's income sources include Lebanese people and Iran, with financial mechanisms involving cash transfers through Syria and gold smuggled via Iran.
Airstrike
Israel targets Hezbollah's financial unit in Syria
In a related development, Israel also conducted an airstrike on Unit 4400 in Syria, which is responsible for Iranian funds flowing to Hezbollah. The unnamed commander of the unit was killed in the strike. This comes after another assassination of a key financial figure earlier this month. These operations come amid rising hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel since late September 2023, with some 2,000 Hezbollah fighters estimated to have been killed by Israeli forces during this time.