IDF reveals Hezbollah bunker with $500 million in gold and cash under Beirut’s al-Sahel Hospital

The IDF revealed formerly classified intelligence about the Hezbollah terror organization’s financial network on Monday, including the location of a secret bunker with approximately $500 million in gold and cash located under Sahel General Hospital in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon.

The revelations came as Israel targets Hezbollah’s economic infrastructure, in addition to its military sites, as demonstrated in the strikes on the Al-Qard Al-Hassan bank. 

According to the military, the Al-Qard Al-Hassan association “finances Hezbollah's terrorist activities directly, including the purchase of weapons, and the payment and distribution of salaries to the operatives of Hezbollah's military arm.” 

The organization has also allowed Hezbollah to avoid the effects of some U.S. sanctions by operating a separate banking system from the Lebanese economy, with support from Iranian funding. 

“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. Where is the bunker located? Directly under Al-Sahel Hospital in the heart of Beirut.”

Listen to IDF Spox.… pic.twitter.com/SjMZQpKqoJ

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 21, 2024

While the strikes on the Al-Card Al-Hassan bank were revealed on Monday morning, the details of the secret bunker were only released later. 

“The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of precise strikes on these Hezbollah financial strongholds,” IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a briefing on Monday evening. 

“One of our main targets last night was an underground vault with tens of millions of dollars in cash and gold. The money was being used to finance Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel,” Hagari stated. 

The IDF spokesman revealed a map of the targets that were struck the previous day. 

However, Hagari also revealed the location of an additional bunker which the IAF did not strike, as it is located under Sahel Hospital.

"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. Where is the bunker located? Directly under Al-Sahel Hospital in the heart of Beirut."

Drawing attention to the recent financial crisis in Lebanon, the IDF spokesman said the money in the bunker should be used to help rebuild Lebanon. 

“According to the estimates we have, there is at least half a billion dollars in dollar bills and gold stored in this bunker,” Hagari said. “This money could and still can be used to rebuild the state of Lebanon.” 

Hagari also showed a map revealing the location of the bunker, along with a 3D representation of the bunker under Sahel Hospital in southern Beirut's Dahiyeh district.

Hagari stated that Israel would not strike the bunker.

“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 call on the citizens of Lebanon, the Lebanese government, and international institutions - do not allow Hezbollah to keep terrorist funds under a hospital,” Hagari said. “Even in the coming hours, we will continue to attack Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon, including in Beirut in Dahiyeh.” 

Hagari also revealed that the IDF eliminated the head of Hezbollah’s financial arm responsible for transporting money from Iran to Lebanon in a strike in Damascus, Syria.

While the IDF did not name the individual killed in the strike, he reportedly had only been in the position a few weeks following the death of his predecessor.