A Turkish man was found to be carrying £2million in cash at Beirut airport, according to Lebanese sources. The money is believed to have been destined for Hezbollah, a Shia paramilitary group based in Lebanon and backed by Iran.
The discovery comes following Israeli accusations that Iran is using diplomats and “others” to smuggle money to the militant group. Lebanon is bound by both the terms of the November ceasefire deal and a UN resolution (1701) to prevent weapons and other related materials from being smuggled to Hezbollah. Turkey has denied Israeli claims that its airports in Istanbul are being used as a conduit for smuggling “tens of millions of US dollars”.
Officials said any large amount of money would be immediately detected by airport X-ray machines or other security checks.
Previously, unsubstantiated reports on social media claimed £9million in cash, along with a shipment of weapons were discovered on an Iraqi Airways plane at Beirut’s International Airport on February 10.
These allegations have been dismissed as containing “no truth” by a Lebanese security source.
Hezbollah has been left battered by its 13th-month war with Israel that has weakened its political power in Lebanon.
Fighting between the two sides began on October 8, 2023, the day after the horrific and brutal attack on Israelis by Hamas militants from the Gaza strip.
Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel “in solidarity” with Hamas, provoking an outbreak of war that was initially concentrated near the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Israel later expanded the its aerial campaign, and invaded southern Lebanon at the beginning of October last year.
Fighting has left more than 3,900 dead across the country and destroyed dozens of border villages.
Hezbollah also lost most of its senior leadership, as well as thousands of its fighters and saw weapon caches destroyed.
The group is now “facing its weakest moment in decades”, professor Imad Salamey told Al Jazeera in an interview.
The November ceasefire has forced Hezbollah to retreat north of the Litani River and away from Lebanon’s border with Israel.
