'You've Got To Act Now': Israel Warns of Islamic Militant Group Hiding Explosives in Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday accused the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah of maintaining a “secret arms depot” in a residential neighborhood of Beirut, warning it could cause another tragic explosion in the Lebanese capital.
Hezbollah denied the allegations and invited media outlets to visit the site.
In an address to the U.N. General Assembly, Netanyahu pointed to maps purportedly showing the missile depot’s location next to a gas company and residential housing, not far from Beirut’s international airport.
“Here’s where the next explosion will take place, right here,” he said.
“You’ve got to act now, you’ve got to protest this, because if this thing explodes, it’s another tragedy,” he said, addressing the Lebanese people. “You should tell them, ‘Tear these depots down.’”
Last month, a warehouse filled with nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut’s port, killing nearly 200 people, wounding thousands and causing widespread destruction in the capital.
The ammonium nitrate had been stored there for several years after being removed from an impounded cargo ship.
No one has yet been held accountable for the blast, which appears to have been triggered by an accidental fire.
Israel has long accused Hezbollah of storing weapons and maintaining military posts in civilian areas, especially in the southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon, both strongholds of support for the Iran-backed militant group.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah denied Netanyahu’s allegations, insisting the group does not store missiles in civilian facilities.
“Whoever wants to go can go now. If Hezbollah is storing missiles in this facility then there is not enough time to remove them,” Nasrallah said.
“We don’t store missiles at the port or near gas facilities. We know where to store missiles.”
“We will allow media outlets to enter the facility so that the world knows that Netanyahu is lying,” he added.
After Netanyahu’s address, the Israeli military released detailed maps showing the site that the prime minister had referenced as well as two other alleged missile depots it said were under residential apartment blocks.
Israel has long warned that Hezbollah is seeking to manufacture missiles or add guidance systems to its existing projectiles, something Israel says may require military action.
Hezbollah is believed to have massively expanded its arsenal in the years since it fought Israel to a stalemate in 2006.
Israel believes Hezbollah has tens of thousands of rockets and missiles capable of hitting virtually anywhere in Israel, but precision guidance would make them far more lethal.
Netanyahu cited another explosion just a few days ago in the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana, near the port city of Sidon.
It is not clear what caused that explosion, which sent smoke billowing into the sky but did not cause any casualties.
The Israeli prime minister usually uses his annual address to the United Nations to highlight Israel’s concerns about archenemy Iran and its nuclear program.
This year, Netanyahu said the recent decision by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel showed that Israel and Arab countries “stand together in confronting the greatest enemy of peace in the Middle East — Iran.”
Netanyahu claimed that Iran would have “enough enriched uranium in a few months for two nuclear bombs” after it recently began exceeding limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Iran began publicly exceeding those limits after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran. Iran insists it has never sought nuclear weapons and that its atomic program is for civilian purposes.
Netanyahu, a staunch opponent of the nuclear deal, praised Trump’s decision to withdraw from it and called on the world to follow the U.S. in snapping back sanctions.
He also reiterated his willingness to negotiate peace with the Palestinians on the basis of Trump’s proposal to end the conflict.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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