Defense Minister Gallant Accuses Iran Of Building Airport In South Lebanon To Launch Attacks On Israeli Territory

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. (Wikimedia Commons / Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Israel accuses Iran of building an airport in southern Lebanon to be used as a basis for carrying out attacks on its citizens and territories across the border.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed on Monday Iran had built a runway dividing the forested mountains about 20 km from Israel's northern border.

Minister Gallant, speaking at a high-level security conference organized by Reichman University near Tel Aviv, showed satellite photos that he said showed the location, where Iran's national flag and the flag of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah were visible.

Minister Gallant said Iran was "planned to act against Israelis", using the runway as a base.

The location he gave was near the hilly city of Jezzin in Lebanon, across the border of Israel's Metulla City. This year's Hezbollah invited reporters to watch military exercises in the nearby city of southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, satellite imagery from Planet Labs taken on July 28 shows work on the runway along the 1.2 km, with four hangars built on the asphalt to the east of the runway. Images from January show most runways are not paved.

Gallant did not explain how Hezbollah would launch an attack from the runway or use the airport for "terrorist purposes".

But, he said in the event of conflict, Israel would be ready to attack Hezbollah with a "dead force" to ensure "Hezbollah and Lebanon must bear major consequences".

Israel has in recent years said it has shot down Hezbollah or Iran drones launched from Lebanon and Syria.

Israel and Hezbollah themselves fought in 2006. The borders of Israel and Lebanon are still tense, but have been largely calm since then.

Recently, tensions in the region have increased. In an incredibly brave attack this year, a man who, according to Israeli officials, may be linked to Hezbollah, infiltrated Israel from Lebanon and detonated a bomb that injured an Israeli citizen.

The group also allowed Palestinian armed groups to operate in its strongholds and fire rocket attacks on Israel in the spring.

Israel has also complained further provocations by Hezbollah, including those of tents the group says were founded on Israel's Blue Line, a demarcation designated by the United Nations with the aim of confirming Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, when the country ended its occupation in 2000.