The mostly defunct discount chain KMart created a cultural icon with its “Blue Light Special.” The Blue Light Special was an in-store sales promotion that was available for a short period of time and only during business hours. It was advertised using a rotating blue light and announced over the store’s public address system with the phrase “Attention, Kmart shoppers!” The IDF has essentially borrowed this gimmick to get at a large store of Hezbollah money that it can’t reach via airstrikes.
Earlier today, I posted on Israel’s assault on Hezbollah’s shadow economy. This economy is used to support Hezbollah’s fighters, to provide a death benefit to families of deceased terrorists, and for the social programs Hezbollah hid behind before becoming an open proxy of the Iranian regime. This operation requires cash because Hezbollah doesn’t have access to the international banking system; see Israel Targets Hezbollah Banks for Destruction Creating Cash Crunch for Terror Group.
One of the targets they wanted to hit was several hundred million dollars in cash and gold in a bunker underneath a major Beirut hospital. To get at it, the IDF came up with a unique solution. Here is IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari putting the plan into action.
Tonight, we’re exposing Hezbollah’s financial network and how Hezbollah uses it to fund its terrorist activities. In recent years, the state of Lebanon has experienced a deep financial crisis, which was exploited by Hezbollah. Hezbollah’s main financial arm is the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association. It provides financial services to Lebanese civilians and pays the salaries of Hezbollah operatives.
Al-Qard Al-Hassan, which violates international law, is sanctioned by the United States and other Western countries. Hezbollah’s financial network is based on two main sources of income: money from the Iranian regime and money from the Lebanese people.
Iran’s Quds Forces transfer money to Hezbollah from Iranian oil sold in Syria. Iran also sends suitcases of cash and gold by planes to the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, and then directly it goes to Hezbollah. Hezbollah has also built factories in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen, and in Turkey that provide income for its terrorist operations. Hezbollah Unit 4400 manages this financial network. It was run by Jaafar Qasir, also known as Sheikh Sala, until he was eliminated in a precise strike in Beirut at the beginning of October.
Today, in another precise strike in Syria, we have eliminated his successor. The IDF will not allow Hezbollah to regroup and rearm. Not only in this…not only is this Iranian money used to kill Israelis, it also threatens the Lebanese economy as Hezbollah continues to smuggle Iranian money into Lebanon in dollars; it devalues the Lebanese pound, making the economy crisis in Lebanon even worse.
Another source of income for Hezbollah is the citizens of Lebanon. Hezbollah makes money from Lebanese citizens by offering them financial services through the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association. Last night, we called on Lebanese civilians to move out, move out of harm’s way from Hezbollah’s financial facilities across Lebanon, including in the [unintelligible] area. We published this warning in Arabic on social media and also through other channels. The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of precise strikes on this Hezbollah financial strongholds. One of our main targets last night was an underground vault with millions of dollars in cash and gold. The money was being used to finance Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel. This vault was deliberately located under a residential building.
Our strikes will degrade Hezbollah’s ability to finance its attacks on Israelis. 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 Hasan Nasrallah’s bunker.
Where is the bunker? Located directly under El Sahel Hospital, in the heart of Beirut, in the [unintelligible].
This is the hospital. From both sides, you can see an entry and exit. Those are entry and exit tunnel shafts for the underground bunker. The entrance is located in the Almadi [sp?] building and the exit is located in the Sahel Center building.
This is the bunker. It contains rooms, beds, and infrastructure for long stays and the ability to direct combat from underground. Hezbollah built this bunker directly underneath this hospital. There are hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold inside the bunker right now. I’m calling on the Lebanese government, Lebanese authorities, and international organizations, don’t, don’t allow Hezbollah to use the money for terror and to attack Israel.
The Israeli Air Force is monitoring the compound, as you can see; however, we will not strike the hospital itself. I want to emphasize we are not at war with the people of Lebanon; we are at war with Hezbollah, and we will continue to operate against Hezbollah so that the residents of Northern Israel will be able to return to their homes in safety and security.
Thank you.
Now Hezbollah is in a quandary. Everyone in Lebanon knows where there is an incredible fortune. That includes Hezbollah commanders who may be thinking about their life expectancy right now.
Any attempt to remove the money will be observed and targeted either by the Israeli Air Force or by people wanting some of the loot. Effectively, this money is just as unavailable to Hezbollah as the money blown up in last night’s attacks.
