Inside Hezbollah’s medical network

Kuwait has added eight Lebanese hospitals to its national sanctions list over alleged links to terrorism, according to the Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai. The hospitals are all located in areas where Hezbollah is influential: southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Those listed include Cheikh Ragheb Harb University Hospital (Nabatiyeh), Salah Ghandour Hospital (Bint Jbeil), al-Amal and Dar al-Hikma hospitals (Baalbek), Saint George Hospital (Hadath), al-Batoul Hospital (Hermel), al-Chifa Hospital (Khaldeh), and al-Rassoul al-Aazam Hospital (Beirut’s southern suburbs). 

The move follows Israeli allegations, via leaflets dropped last weekend, that Salah Ghandour Hospital hosted Hezbollah activities, claims that triggered widespread condemnation in Lebanon.

According to Al-Rai, the decision was taken by a Kuwaiti committee tasked with implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions under Chapter VII related to counterterrorism and non-proliferation. 

The sanctions freeze all funds and economic resources linked to the named entities and ban any financial dealings with them by individuals in Kuwait or abroad.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said it was “surprised” by the decision, noting it had received no prior notification from Kuwaiti authorities. 

Calling it a “precedent,” the ministry said it would seek clarifications to avoid confusion and protect Lebanon’s health system, recalling Kuwait’s long-standing support to the sector.

The move follows earlier Kuwaiti sanctions on Al-Qard al-Hassan, described as Hezbollah’s financial arm, and comes amid broader measures targeting alleged Hezbollah-linked financial networks between Lebanon and Kuwait.