WarSclerotic

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday released ‎images of Hezbollah facilities in the heart of ‎Beirut, saying they proved the Shiite terrorist group ‎is trying to build weapon production sites near the ‎Lebanese capital’s airport. ‎

The images were released moments after Prime ‎Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General ‎Assembly that Israel had evidence that Iran was ‎helping Hezbollah upgrade its missiles with ‎precision guidance systems.‎

‎”In Lebanon, Iran is directing Hezbollah to build ‎secret sites to convert inaccurate projectiles into ‎precision-guided missiles, missiles that can target ‎deep inside Israel within an accuracy of 10 meters ‎‎[30 feet],” he said.‎

IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

A statement by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that ‎the deployment of the facilities close to Beirut ‎international airport was “knowingly jeopardizing ‎the Lebanese civilian population.”‎

In Beirut, Hezbollah’s media officer Muhammad Afif ‎declined to comment on the report.‎

Israeli military intelligence indicates that over ‎the past year, Hezbollah has been investing ‎considerable resources in developing the necessary ‎infrastructure to convert surface-to-surface ‎missiles into precision-guided projectiles.‎

The decision to build a compound in the Uzai ‎neighborhood, near Beirut’s Rafic Hariri ‎International Airport, was made to safeguard it from ‎military strikes.‎

Another facility is being built under the local ‎football stadium, and a third is under construction ‎in an area that is merely 30 meters (100 feet) ‎from one of the airport’s runways, the images show.‎

IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

In addition to these three major sites, Hezbollah is ‎also building smaller facilities in other ‎neighborhoods in Beirut as well as on its outskirts, ‎knowingly placing the local civilian population at ‎risk, the IDF said. ‎

The missile upgrade project is carried out using ‎Iranian knowledge, technology, funding and guidance. ‎

The military said that a convoy trying to smuggle ‎technology meant for this project was targeted on ‎September 17, the same day a Russian military plane was ‎shot down over Latakia by Syrian air defenses‎attempting to counter an Israeli strike there.‎

Israel has been closely monitoring Hezbollah’s ‎effort to upgrade its already sizeable weapons’ ‎arsenal, believed to comprise some 100,000 ‎projectiles. ‎

One defense official said Thursday that Israel ‎possesses extensive intelligence concerning ‎Hezbollah efforts, which it counters in various ‎ways. The IDF’s efforts, he said, have ensured that ‎as of September 2018, the Shiite terrorist group has ‎been unable to achieve its goal.