Israeli PM Netanyahu urges Beirut neighbourhood to 'tear down' depots of weapons

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, of storing weapons near a gas company in Beirut’s neighbourhood, swiftly denied by the Iran-backed group. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu warned about a possible explosion in the Jnah neighbourhood, urging residents to protest and tear down the depots.

“I say to the people of Jnah...You’ve got to protest this. Because if this thing explodes, it’s another tragedy..Iran and Hezbollah have deliberately put you and your families in grave danger...You should tell them, tear these depots down,” said Netanyahu in a pre-recorded message.

The Israeli leader displayed a photograph during his speech which purportedly showed an entrance to a missile factory in Beirut. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah denied the existence of any such missile site which was followed by the movement’s media centre arranging a tour for a large of journalists to what it said was the site mentioned by Netanyahu. The journalists reportedly found machines used to cut metal and gas cylinders at the site on a residential street in Jnah.

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Beirut blast and aftermath

The Lebanese government, formed in January with the support of Hezbollah movement, resigned over the blast which wreaked havoc in the city of Beirut. Lebanon's Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad was the first top official to quit over the devastation, saying the government couldn’t meet the demands of the public and the “reality does not match our ambitions”.

Canada had offered to join Lebanon’s investigation into the Beirut port explosion, which claimed at least 180 lives and left thousands injured, on the condition of transparency. After meeting Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in televised remarks that Ottawa would assist in the probe under some defined conditions.

"The Lebanese people expect that if Canada participates in this investigation it is because it is going to be credible, transparent and get to the bottom of things to get justice," said Champagne.

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Read: US To Mediate Talks Between Israel And Lebanon Regarding Longstanding Maritime Dispute

(With AP inputs)