JERUSALEM: Israel accused Hezbollah on Tuesday of setting up a factory for precision-guided missiles in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley, in a veiled warning of further possible Israeli counter-strikes after a drone attack near Beirut set off brief cross-border fighting.
Sunday’s shelling exchange was the fiercest between Israel and Hezbollah since the 2006 Lebanon war. While neither is keen to escalate, Israel has said it could act against any upgrades of Hezbollah’s missile arsenal, while Hezbollah has said it would retaliate for attacks on Lebanese soil.
In a statement to media accompanied by satellite images, the Israeli military said that Hezbollah, with Iranian assistance, had been bringing specialized equipment to a weapons factory near the Bekaa village of Al-Nabi Sheet with a view to setting up a production line for precision-guidance missiles.
Hezbollah recently moved some of the equipment to “civilian locations” in Beirut as a precaution against strikes, the Israeli military statement said, alluding to tensions that surged after the Aug. 25 drone incident in Beirut’s suburbs.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which has denied having precision-guided missile production sites in Lebanon. But it says it possess such weapons, which could be used to home in on and knock out key Israeli infrastructure.
In an Aug 31 speech, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel of using the movement’s capability with precision-guided missiles as a pretext for attacks.
Israel has not formally claimed responsibility for the Beirut drone strike, which a regional security source said hit a component of the precision-guided missile project.
Hoping to move Beirut to rein in Hezbollah, Israel has signalled that in any further flare-up it could carry out widespread attacks on Lebanon.
Israel says Hezbollah plans advanced missile plant in Lebanon’s Bekaa
Israel says Hezbollah plans advanced missile plant in Lebanon’s Bekaa
- Israeli military said that Hezbollah, with Iranian assistance, had been bringing specialized equipment to a weapons factory near the Bekaa
- Sunday’s shelling exchange was the fiercest between Israel and Hezbollah since the 2006 Lebanon war
Jordanian king and British PM condemn Iran’s targeting of Arab countries
- Starmer reaffirms the UK’s support and solidarity with Jordan and the Gulf countries
- King Abdullah calls on the international community to take effective action to reduce tensions
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed ways to achieve comprehensive calm in the region during a phone call on Sunday.
King Abdullah denounced the attacks on Jordan and several Arab countries, cautioning about their consequences for the region’s security and stability. He emphasized that recent regional developments require the international community to take effective action to reduce tensions, according to the Petra news agency.
Starmer condemned Iran’s attacks on Jordan and other Arab countries, reaffirming the UK’s support and solidarity with Jordan.
Amid the American and Israeli military actions since Saturday, Iran has launched a barrage of missiles into Israel. It has also targeted US aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and other US bases in the Arab Gulf countries.
Some of the Iranian missiles have struck civilian sites, particularly in Dubai, and have disrupted flights in the region.
