Hezbollah members attend the funeral of Taleb Abdallah, a senior field commander, who was killed in an Israeli attack on June 12th, 2024. Photo
Lebanese authorities have acted swiftly to dispel suspicions that Hezbollah, the country’s Iran-backed party, is storing weapons at Beirut airport, as fears of an all-out war between the militant group and Israel escalate, The Arab Weekly reports on June 24th.
Lebanon’s transport minister, Ali Hamieh, held a press conference on Sunday, June 23rd, to refute allegations made by The Telegraph. British media claimed that Hezbollah is storing missiles and rockets at Beirut airport, based on reports from “whistleblowers” about the arrival of “unusually big boxes”.
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Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has been engaging in near-daily exchanges of fire with Israel in support of its ally, Hamas. Experts speculate that neither Hezbollah and its main sponsor, Iran, nor Israel, desire a full-scale conflict, although the ongoing clashes could potentially escalate uncontrollably.
I am holding this press conference to clarify that everything that has been written in The Telegraph is false and to say that there are no weapons entering or leaving Beirut airport,
-Hamieh stated to journalists.
He made these remarks from Beirut International Airport, located in a southern area of the capital where Hezbollah holds significant influence.
Hamieh also invited journalists and ambassadors to inspect the airport on Monday in a visit that is “open to all”.
The Lebanese air transport union condemned the allegations in a statement, calling them “simply erroneous statements and lies aimed at endangering Beirut airport and its employees, all civilians, and those who frequent it”.
For years, Israel has accused Hezbollah of storing precision rockets and missiles at various locations throughout Lebanon, including a site near Beirut airport. Hezbollah denies these accusations.
The Arab Weekly, The Telegraph and agencies