The Lebanese Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the United Nations claming the July 14 explosion in southern Lebanon was cased by ammunition left by the Israeli military. According to the London-based al-Hayat, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry claimed the explosion occurred at an uncompleted structure in a southern Lebanese village that stored arms “left behind by the Israelis.”
Israel, however, has maintained the explosion was caused by a Hizbullah weapons stockpile, leading Israeli defense officials to believe Hizbullah has rebuilt its arms stockpile. Last week, United Nations peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said the explosion was likely caused by a Hizbullah weapons stockpile.
According to Le Roy, “A number of indications suggest that the depot belonged to Hizbullah, and, in contrast to previous discoveries by UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces of weapons and ammunition, that it was not abandoned but, rather, actively maintained.”
