Netanyahu claims Hezbollah hides its arms depots in Beirut’s residential areas

On Tuesday, in an address to UN General Assembly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Lebanese Iran-backed radical political party, Hezbollah, was hiding missiles and other armaments in Beirut’s residential neighborhood. Israeli leader highlighted that it was a disaster waiting to happen. As a proof to his statement against the militant group, he showed the UN exact locations on the map with pictures of entrances to the depot.

He said, “Here’s where the next explosion will take place, right here… You’ve got to act now, you’ve got to protest this, because if this thing explodes, it’s another tragedy,” Netanyahu in his message to the Lebanese people said, “You should tell them, ‘Tear these depots down.”

Last month Lebanon witnessed the worst blast in its history as about 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut’s port, which killed nearly 200 people, and injured  thousands. Post blast investigations revealed that the unprecedented catastrophe was result of Lebanese oblivious and highly corrupt political leaders, among whom many were aware of the deadly explosives stored at a warehouse on the port.

Israel has long accused Hezbollah of hiding explosives and armaments in residential areas especially southern Beirut and Southern Lebanon, where apparently its majority support base resides.

To add weight to Netanyahu’s claims the Arabic spokesperson of the Israeli Armyreleased a video on Twitter highlighting Hezbollah’s Precision Guided Missle (PGM) manufacturing sites in Beirut

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah denied Israeli leader’s allegations, and said, “Whoever wants to go can go now. If Hezbollah is storing missiles in this facility, then there is not enough time to remove them 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. Following his address many journalists, including Associated Press photographer visited one of the factory site as mentioned by Israeli leader and reported about large pieces of iron and steel, heavy machinery and oxygen canisters – but no missiles or weapons.