WarSclerotic

Residents of south Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold, recently received translated anonymous messages saying: “A Hezbollah site is located near your home, practice caution,” the London-based Arabic language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

According to the report, many residents in the neighborhood fear the messages portend a possible Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah command centers or the terrorist organization’s bases in southern Lebanon.

The newspaper added that Israeli officials had declined to address speculation over whether Israeli intelligence services were behind the messages.

As a reminder, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly last week, said Hezbollah was developing precision-guided missiles at facilities throughout Beirut, among other places near the city’s international airport and a soccer stadium.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Gerban Bassil said on Monday that Israel sought to “justify another aggression” by making false allegations of missile sites near Beirut airport.

In response to Netanyahu’s claims, Bassil accompanied diplomats, including Russian and Iranian envoys, and journalists, on a tour of three sites near the airport, including the stadium of a top division Lebanese football team, Al-Ahed, which Israel identified as one of the sites.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said last month that despite Israel’s aggressive efforts to prevent the group from obtaining weapons, Hezbollah has amassed advanced precision rockets.