IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari revealed on Monday night that the former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's bunker in Dahieh in southern Beirut was located underneath a hospital - which held gold and half a billion dollars in cash.
One of his bunkers was located beneath the Al-Sahel Hospital and was used as Nasrallah's emergency bunker, according to the IDF. The hospital has been evacuated following Israeli claims a Hezbollah cash bunker is located beneath it, hospital director Fadi Alameh told Reuters on Monday. Hagari said that Israel will not strike the hospital.
Alameh denied the allegation and called on the Lebanese army to visit the site.
Video with graphics displaying Nasrallah's bunker underneath a hospital holding hundreds of millions of dollars (credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
An N12 report said that it serves as Hezbollah's central money warehouse, where the vast majority of the organization's money stolen from Lebanese citizens and used for terrorism is hidden.
The IDF revealed a graphic photo and a video simulation of the structure. "This bunker is deliberately placed under the hospital and on both sides of it," Hagari continued. "You can see the buildings under which the entrance shafts to the bunker are located.
"This money could and still can go to rebuilding the state of Lebanon. This money had been intended to go exclusively to arming the terrorist organization Hezbollah and had no other destination."
He said that IAF aircraft are monitoring the compound "and will continue to do so.
Calling on Lebanese to take a stand
"We call on the citizens of Lebanon, the Lebanese government, and international institutions - do not allow Hezbollah to keep terrorist funds under a hospital. Even in the coming hours, we will continue to attack Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon, including in Beirut in Dahieh.
"Our war is not against the citizens of Lebanon - but against a murderous terrorist organization which continues to arm itself and align itself with the interests of the Islamic Republic regime. We will continue to work to create security that will allow the return of our residents of the north to their homes."
Hagari also revealed that the IDF eliminated in Syria a senior member of the terrorist organization's financial system, Ynet reported.
The "Qard al-Hasan" bank, which was founded in the 1980s as a charity, has developed into a powerful financial institution that currently serves over 200,000 people and manages most of Hezbollah's economic activity, Maariv reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.