The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday released images of Hezbollah facilities in the heart of Beirut, saying they proved the Shiite terrorist group is trying to build weapon production sites near the Lebanese capital's airport.
The images were released moments after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly that Israel had evidence that Iran was helping Hezbollah upgrade its missiles with precision guidance systems.
"In Lebanon, Iran is directing Hezbollah to build secret sites to convert inaccurate projectiles into precision-guided missiles, missiles that can target deep inside Israel within an accuracy of 10 meters [30 feet]," he said.
A statement by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that the deployment of the facilities close to Beirut international airport was "knowingly jeopardizing the Lebanese civilian population."
In Beirut, Hezbollah's media officer Muhammad Afif declined to comment on the report.
Israeli military intelligence indicates that over the past year, Hezbollah has been investing considerable resources in developing the necessary infrastructure to convert surface-to-surface missiles into precision-guided projectiles.
The decision to build a compound in the Uzai neighborhood, near Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, was made to safeguard it from military strikes.
Another facility is being built under the local football stadium, and a third is under construction in an area that is merely 30 meters (100 feet) from one of the airport's runways, the images show.
In addition to these three major sites, Hezbollah is also building smaller facilities in other neighborhoods in Beirut as well as on its outskirts, knowingly placing the local civilian population at risk, the IDF said.
The missile upgrade project is carried out using Iranian knowledge, technology, funding and guidance.
The military said that a convoy trying to smuggle technology meant for this project was targeted on September 17, the same day a Russian military plane was shot down over Latakia by Syrian air defenses attempting to counter an Israeli strike there.
Israel has been closely monitoring Hezbollah's effort to upgrade its already sizeable weapons' arsenal, believed to comprise some 100,000 projectiles.
One defense official said Thursday that Israel possesses extensive intelligence concerning Hezbollah efforts, which it counters in various ways. The IDF's efforts, he said, have ensured that as of September 2018, the Shiite terrorist group has been unable to achieve its goal.
