TPC Staff
The Palestine Chronicle / September 28, 2024
Lebanese Transport Minister Ali Hamieh instructed the Iranian plane to avoid entering Lebanese airspace after Israeli forces threatened to use force.
The Israeli army infiltrated the radio frequencies of the control tower at Beirut International Airport on Saturday and threatened to target an Iranian civilian aircraft if it attempted to land, according to sources from Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Israeli media later reported that the plane had turned back.
The sources reportedly confirmed Lebanese Transport Minister Ali Hamieh instructed the Iranian plane to avoid entering Lebanese airspace and to refrain from landing at Rafiq Hariri International Airport after Israeli forces threatened to use force.
Earlier, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari warned that the Israeli army would not permit the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah, including through Beirut International Airport.
“We are aware of Iranian arms transfers to Hezbollah, and we will take action to prevent them,” Hagari said.
However, Hamieh dismissed these claims in televised remarks, refuting the Israeli allegations.
He emphasized that Beirut International Airport is “strictly civilian” and clarified that any military aircraft activity at the airport is subject to the exclusive approval of the Lebanese army.
Ongoing aggression
The Israeli army claimed on Saturday that it assassinated Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah when it launched a massive airstrike targeting a residential area in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday.
According to the Lebanese news network Al-Mayadeen, at least six buildings were destroyed in the attack, which was reportedly carried out with 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least six people were killed and 91 were wounded. However, the death toll is likely to rise as the Lebanese Civil Defense said in a statement that hundreds of people are still missing.
At least 720 people have been killed and thousands were wounded in the ongoing Israeli aggression across Lebanon, according to the country’s Health ministry.
