Israel alleges Hezbollah's $500 million secret bunker beneath Beirut Hospital

[MIDDLE EAST] Israel has accused Hezbollah of storing hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold in a bunker beneath a hospital in Beirut's southern suburbs, but has stated that it will not target the facility.The Sahel hospital in Dahiyeh was evacuated shortly after, and the director, Fadi Alame, told Reuters that the reports were false.

The allegations have sent shockwaves through the international community, raising concerns about the potential use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes. Humanitarian organizations have expressed alarm at the implications for healthcare access in the region, particularly given the already strained medical resources in Lebanon. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and emphasized the critical importance of protecting medical facilities during conflicts.

Israel did not present evidence to back up its claim that cash was kept under the facility. Instead, it released an animated image depicting a bunker beneath the hospital and claiming it had previously been utilized to shelter Hezbollah's former secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah. Israel urged the Lebanese government to seize the money it claimed the Shia militant outfit had stolen from the Lebanese people.

Shortly after, Israel sent a series of warnings to Dahiyeh inhabitants, stating that it would begin attacking structures in the vicinity and that they should evacuate at least 500 metres. Those who remained in the vicinity began fleeing.

The evacuation order has led to a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of civilians forced to leave their homes on short notice. Local aid organizations report that many families are struggling to find temporary shelter, and there are growing concerns about access to food, water, and essential services. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has called for immediate assistance to support the displaced population and ensure their basic needs are met during this period of uncertainty.

Airstrikes began roughly an hour later, with loud explosions heard throughout the Beirut region. One of the strikes occurred right in front of the entrance to the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Lebanon's largest public hospital. The strike killed at least four people, including a child, and injured 24 others, with the hospital suffering "major damage" from the bomb.

Despite the strike, the hospital's operations remained as usual, and it was accepting injured workers from Monday night's strikes, according to a hospital source.

The initial casualty count was anticipated to grow as first responders began to search the rubble for survivors. A photograph of the building attacked in front of Rafik Hairi Hospital showed a man drenched in blood, motionless in a bombed-out structure.

Fears spread that hospitals in the wider Beirut area would be targeted following the Israeli allegations, which matched similar claims in Gaza, where the Israel Defense Forces said Hamas conducted military operations from medical facilities.

The parallels drawn between the situations in Beirut and Gaza have sparked intense debate among international legal experts. Questions are being raised about the interpretation and application of international humanitarian law in these complex scenarios. Some argue that the use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes, if proven, could constitute a war crime. Others emphasize the need for irrefutable evidence before making such serious accusations. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for an independent investigation to establish the facts and ensure compliance with international law.

Lebanon's ministry of health condemned the "attacks on two of Lebanon's largest hospitals" as part of Israel's "daily targeting of the Lebanese health sector". Israel has killed at least 115 healthcare professionals and emergency responders since the war between Hezbollah and Israel began a year ago.

It was Beirut's second night of heavy bombing, after Israel carried out more than 15 attacks on Hezbollah-linked banking facilities the night before.

The escalating violence has had a profound impact on the Lebanese economy, which was already struggling due to a prolonged financial crisis. Economic analysts warn that the destruction of banking facilities and other infrastructure could further destabilize the country's fragile financial system. The Lebanese pound has plummeted in value on the black market, and there are fears of widespread shortages of essential goods. International financial institutions are closely monitoring the situation, with some expressing concern about the potential for a broader regional economic crisis if the conflict continues to escalate.

It came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was on his way to Israel and neighboring Middle Eastern countries on Monday for his 11th visit since the Hamas attacks on October 7, in an attempt to restart ceasefire talks in Gaza and find a diplomatic solution to the Lebanon conflict.

On Sunday night, Israel said that it will begin targeting Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-affiliated bank that offers interest-free loans and banking services to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, mostly Shia Muslims. It accused the bank of financing Hezbollah and claimed that its branches were used to store weapons.

The statement that Israel will begin targeting the bank, one of Hezbollah's civilian institutions, marked an extension of Israel's targets beyond the group's military branch. According to the US Treasury, the institution was sanctioned in 2017 during the Trump administration for providing Hezbollah with access to the international banking system.

Al-Qard Al-Hassan was established in the early 1980s as a philanthropic institution within Hezbollah's extensive social services network.

The banking company gained popularity following Lebanon's 2019 financial crisis, when commercial banks froze practically all accounts and stopped giving loans. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, mostly Shia Muslims, bank with Al-Qard Al-Hassan, with many of them pledging familial assets like gold in exchange for loans.

Shortly after announcing that it would begin attacking Al-Qard Al-Hassan, Israel began striking bank buildings in greater Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa valley.

At least ten airstrikes were carried out in Dahiyeh, forcing an entire building to collapse and a jet of flames to shoot into the air in the Chiyah neighborhood. A building near Lebanon's lone commercial airport was also targeted; video footage showed a smoke cloud billowing while a nearby airliner sat on the runway.

"They hit abandoned buildings in residential neighbourhoods, destroying the surrounding areas. These were not military bases or weapons caches," stated Ma'an Khalil, mayor of Ghobeiry municipality in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Amos Hochstein, the US envoy, arrived in Beirut on Monday morning and met with Lebanon's parliamentary speaker, Nabih Berri, and caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, to discuss ways to reach a cease-fire.

Hochstein stated that the fulfillment of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was the road to a truce in Lebanon and rejected attempts to modify the UN agreement.

Resolution 1701 halted the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and has since served as the framework for governing security dynamics along the Lebanese-Israeli border. The agreement states that Hezbollah and other armed militias must not be present beyond the Litani River, which is approximately 18 miles (30 kilometers) north of the border. The resolution also called on Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanon.

As diplomatic efforts continue, there is growing concern about the potential for the conflict to spread beyond Lebanon and Israel. Regional analysts point to the complex web of alliances and proxy relationships in the Middle East, warning that further escalation could draw in other powers such as Iran and Syria. The United States and European Union are reportedly working behind the scenes to prevent such a scenario, engaging in intense diplomatic efforts with key regional players. Meanwhile, citizens across the Middle East are holding their breath, hoping for a peaceful resolution to a crisis that threatens to engulf the entire region in a wider conflagration.