Egypt's golf chief Omar Hisham Talaat elected to Arab Golf Federation board    Egypt extends Eni's oil and gas concession in Suez Gulf, Nile Delta to 2040    Egypt, India explore joint investments in gas, mining, petrochemicals    Egypt launches National Strategy for Rare Diseases at PHDC'25    Egyptian pound inches up against dollar in early Thursday trade    Singapore's Destiny Energy to invest $210m in Egypt to produce 100,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, Libya, Sudan at Turkey's SETA foundation    UN warns of 'systematic atrocities,' deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan    Egypt's Al-Sisi ratifies new criminal procedures law after parliament amends it    Egypt launches 3rd World Conference on Population, Health and Human Development    Cowardly attacks will not weaken Pakistan's resolve to fight terrorism, says FM    Egypt's TMG 9-month profit jumps 70% on record SouthMed sales    Egypt adds trachoma elimination to health success track record: WHO    Egypt, Latvia sign healthcare MoU during PHDC'25    Egypt, India explore cooperation in high-tech pharmaceutical manufacturing, health investments    Egypt, Sudan, UN convene to ramp up humanitarian aid in Sudan    Egypt releases 2023 State of Environment Report    Egyptians vote in 1st stage of lower house of parliament elections    Grand Egyptian Museum welcomes over 12,000 visitors on seventh day    Sisi meets Russian security chief to discuss Gaza ceasefire, trade, nuclear projects    Egypt repatriates 36 smuggled ancient artefacts from the US    Grand Egyptian Museum attracts 18k visitors on first public opening day    'Royalty on the Nile': Grand Ball of Monte-Carlo comes to Cairo    VS-FILM Festival for Very Short Films Ignites El Sokhna    Egypt's cultural palaces authority launches nationwide arts and culture events    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Qatar to activate Egypt investment package with Matrouh deal in days: Cabinet    Omar Hisham Talaat: Media partnership with 'On Sports' key to promoting Egyptian golf tourism    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Madinaty Golf Club to host 104th Egyptian Open    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Al-Sisi: Cairo to host Gaza reconstruction conference in November    Egypt will never relinquish historical Nile water rights, PM says    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Israeli PM to UN: Hezbollah storing missiles in Beirut
Published in Ahram Online on 29 - 09 - 2020

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday accused the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah of maintaining a ``secret arms depot`` in a residential neighborhood of Beirut, warning it could cause another tragic explosion in the Lebanese capital.
In an address to the U.N. General Assembly, Netanyahu pointed to maps purportedly showing the missile depot's location next to a gas company and residential housing. He also showed what he said was a picture of the entrance to the depot.
``Here's where the next explosion will take place, right here,`` he said.
``You've got to act now, you've got to protest this, because if this thing explodes, it's another tragedy,`` he said, addressing the Lebanese people. ``You should tell them, 'Tear these depots down.'''
Last month, a warehouse filled with nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut's port, killing nearly 200 people, wounding thousands and causing widespread destruction in the capital.
The ammonium nitrate had been stored there for several years after being removed from an impounded cargo ship. No one has yet been held accountable for the blast, which appears to have been triggered by an accidental fire.
Israel has long accused Hezbollah of storing weapons and maintaining military posts in civilian areas, especially in the southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon, both strongholds of support for the Iran-backed militant group.
The Israeli military later released maps and videos showing the site that Netanyahu had referenced as well as two other alleged missile depots it said were under residential apartment blocks. It described all three as precision-guided missile manufacturing sites.
The military provided precise locations of the alleged weapons sites but gave no other evidence and did not say how advanced the manufacturing program is.
Israel has long warned that Hezbollah is seeking to manufacture precision-guided missiles or add guidance systems to its existing projectiles, something Israel insists is a red line that may require military action.
Hezbollah is believed to have massively expanded its arsenal in the years since it fought Israel to a month-long stalemate in 2006. Israel believes Hezbollah has tens of thousands of rockets and missiles capable of hitting virtually anywhere in Israel, but precision guidance would make them far more lethal.
Netanyahu said another depot had exploded just a few days ago in the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana, near the port city of Sidon. It is not clear what caused that explosion, which sent smoke billowing into the sky but did not cause any casualties.
The Israeli prime minister usually uses his annual address to the United Nations to highlight Israel's concerns about archenemy Iran and its nuclear program.
And he does it in a distinctive manner. In contrast to most leaders, who typically sit behind desks or stand at podiums, he often uses visual aids such as maps and diagrams to make his points. This year, talking about potential explosions, he delivered his speech against the backdrop of a Jerusalem street scene filled with intense oranges and yellows.
This year, Netanyahu said the recent decision by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel showed that Israel and Arab countries ``stand together in confronting the greatest enemy of peace in the Middle East _ Iran.''
Netanyahu claimed that Iran would have ``enough enriched uranium in a few months for two nuclear bombs'' after it recently began exceeding limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Iran began publicly exceeding those limits after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran. Iran insists it has never sought nuclear weapons and that its atomic program is for civilian purposes.
Netanyahu, a staunch opponent of the nuclear deal, praised Trump's decision to withdraw from it and called on the world to follow the U.S. in snapping back sanctions.
He also reiterated his willingness to negotiate peace with the Palestinians on the basis of Trump's proposal to end the conflict, which overwhelmingly favors Israel and has been rejected by the Palestinians.


Clic here to read the story from its source.