Hizbollah has trebled rocket store to 42,000, says Israel
HIZBOLLAH has trebled the size of its arsenal to 42,000 rockets, many with a range great enough to reach beyond Tel Aviv, the Israeli defence minister said yesterday.
Ehud Barak's warning came as part of an assessment of a rearmament programme by the militant Lebanese Shia group following its war with Israel in 2006. Although the Israel-Lebanon frontier has been quiet since the ceasefire, the build-up of arms means fresh fighting could break out at any moment.
"The firepower of Hizbollah has grown threefold since the second Lebanon war," said Mr Barak. "It has missiles that can reach the towns of Ashkelon, Beersheba and Dimona (125 miles from the Lebanese border). Today, Hizbollah has 42,000 missiles."
The figures supported claims made by Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, a Hizbollah commander, in an interview in August, that the group had built up its arsenal significantly.
During the 2006 conflict, many Israelis were shocked at the range and sophistication of Hizbollah rockets, which hit targets deep inside Israel, including the port of Haifa. The idea that Hizbollah now has the capacity to hit the commercial hub of Tel Aviv and beyond will add to public concern in Israel.
The border remains tense, with Israel frustrated that UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have not been able to block military preparations by Hizbollah.
Bunkers
In some areas, Hizbollah's control is so tight that it bars UN patrols. There is anecdotal evidence of a significant increase in defensive infrastructure by Hizbollah just north of the Litani river consisting of underground bunkers, trenches and store rooms.
Mr Barak also indicated that the recent integration of Hizbollah into the Lebanese government has changed the thinking of Israeli military commanders.
"The integration of Hizbollah into the Lebanese state exposes Lebanon and its infrastructure to in-depth attacks in the event of a new conflict," he said. During the 2006 conflict, Israel showed it would not hesitate to attack civilian targets it believed to have a military purpose.
These included road bridges, motorway junctions, power stations, and even a lighthouse.
With Iranian money and weapons and the support of Syria, which provides transport links, it is an open secret that Hizbollah has been busy rebuilding its military might in southern Lebanon. (© Daily Telegraph, London)
- Tim Butcher in Jerusalem
