By Henry Gabriel
Hezbollah’s claim of not storing weapons at Beirut Airport is facing skepticism from the public, according to Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official.
Melamed, who has extensive experience in Arab affairs and negotiations, stated that Hezbollah has failed to convince people that it is not using the airport for storing munitions.
Elanza News reports that the allegations first surfaced in a report by The Telegraph, which detailed the storage of Iranian-imported munitions, including missiles, at Rafic Hariri International Airport.
In response, Hezbollah has mobilized its allies in the Lebanese Parliament to counter the claims, likely in an attempt to avoid an Israeli strike on its weapons depot.
However, Melamed emphasized that the timing of the report is significant, coinciding with Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s visit to Washington.
Elanza News gathered that despite efforts to downplay the allegations through limited airport tours for ambassadors and statements from the Iranian-aligned Iraqi ambassador refuting the claims, the Lebanese people and others in the region remain unconvinced by Hezbollah’s denial.
Elanza News reports that the memory of the devastating explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020, known as the “Beirut-shima,” caused by poorly stored munitions in the city’s port, further fuels skepticism.
The investigation into the incident was hindered by Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon’s government.
But Melamed, in an email to Elanza News, highlighted the situation in Lebanon as an example of how Iran’s Shia Crescent hegemonic system holds people hostage within their own country.
Elanza News reports that while the Lebanese people do not seek war with Israel, it is their Hezbollah captors who may ultimately lead them into conflict and destruction.
