Israel warns it will bomb Beirut airport if it is used by Iran to transfer weapons: Report

Israel has warned Lebanon that it will bomb the Beirut airport if it is being used by Iran to send weapon shipments to Hezbollah terror group. The al-Arabiya network of Saudi Arabia recently published a report saying that Iran was smuggling weapons through the Beirut international airport using civilian flights. Asharq Al-Awsat, which is an Arabic language newspaper published from London, has now said that Israel warned Lebanon that if any such activity was discovered, Israel will go ahead and strike the airport. The Arabic publication cited an unnamed source within the Israeli political establishment.

Israel's airforce has in the past admitted to conducting strikes in Syrian territory, to target Iranian weapons shipments for the Lebanese terror group. Iran transfers the weapons to Syria and then from Syria to Hezbollah. Until now, Israel has restrained itself and avoided conducting direct strikes on Lebanon. Reports indicate that Iran was using the Meraj airlines to transfer weapons to Hezbollah. There is also suspicion that Hezbollah has an underground precision missile production facility hidden near the Beirut airport.  

According to a report from Times of Israel, sorties conducted by Israeli air force rendered the Damascus airport inoperable for two weeks. Israel also targeted airbase near Homs last month. Most of Syria's airspace is controlled by Russia and despite the close relationship between Israel and US, Russia has allowed Israel to carry out strikes in Syria, because Moscow understands the legitimate security concerns Israel has. This is also one of the reasons Israel has avoided sending weapons to Ukraine, as it doesn not want to poke Russia. 

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah (also known as Hizbullah or Hizballah) is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Founded in the 1980s. Hezbollah has a history of violence against Jews. The group's founding charter, published in 1985, calls for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in its place. The charter also contains numerous anti-Semitic statements and conspiracy theories, including references to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the claim that Jews are responsible for the world's evils.

In addition to its anti-Semitic rhetoric, Hezbollah has also been involved in a number of violent attacks against Jews and Jewish targets. In 1992, the group carried out a bombing at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 29 people and injuring 242 others. In 1994, the group was responsible for a bombing at the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and injured hundreds more.

Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organisation by many Western countries, including the United States, the European Union, and Israel. The group has been involved in a number of conflicts and terrorist attacks, including the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 American and 58 French peacekeeping forces, and the 2006 Lebanon War with Israel. Hezbollah is heavily armed and receives financial and military support from Iran. The group also has significant political power in Lebanon, and holds seats in the country's parliament.