No Evidence of Hezbollah Hideout Under Beirut Hospital
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed that there is no evidence supporting Israel's allegations of a Hezbollah hideout beneath the Sahel Hospital in southern Beirut. This statement comes after the Israeli army claimed that Hezbollah was concealing a cache of cash and gold under the facility. Austin emphasized that the U.S. will continue to collaborate with Israel to gather more information regarding these claims.
The director of Sahel Hospital, Fadi Alameh, who is also a Lebanese MP from the Amal Movement, has denounced the allegations as false and slanderous. He urged the Lebanese army to inspect the hospital to verify that it serves as a medical facility, containing only patients, operating rooms, and a morgue. Alameh described the lower levels of the hospital as housing essential medical supplies and infrastructure rather than any hidden weapons or funds.
Al Jazeera correspondent Salam Khader, who visited the hospital, confirmed that the areas claimed by the Israeli army to be a Hezbollah hideout are actually part of the hospital's operational infrastructure, which includes air conditioning units, electric generators, and waste storage areas. The situation escalated last Monday when the Israeli army's claims led to the evacuation of the hospital for fear of potential Israeli strikes. However, the Israeli army later stated that it would refrain from attacking the hospital while continuing operations in the surrounding southern suburbs of Beirut.
