Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — In a speech delivered from the parliament on Wednesday, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah denied Hezbollah's involvement in a recent gold smuggling attempt through the Beirut airport, as reported on Sunday by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ.)
"We categorically deny any connection between Hezbollah and an attempt to smuggle gold through Beirut International Airport and call on the concerned authorities to announce to the public all the details about this information", Fadlallah said according to Hezbollah's television station Al Manar.
Citing a senior security official, American newspaper WSJ reported on Saturday that Lebanese security recently foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 50 pounds of gold to Hezbollah through the airport.
'Helping the security authorities'
"I emphasize our keenness on the security of the airport and applying the laws to everyone and providing a safe environment for this vital facility, and we contributed significantly in helping the security authorities to complete this task", he added.
Hezbollah's military and financial situation has significantly deteriorated after more than 13 months of war against Israel and the fall in December 2024 of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, his ally, thus cutting the direct supply line between Tehran and the party. Supply difficulties have been exacerbated by the Lebanese authorities' reinforced control of land, sea, and air borders following the election of President Joseph Aoun in January and the formation of a new Lebanese cabinet headed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in February.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of using Lebanon's only airport to receive weapons and money from Iran. On Feb. 17, Lebanon announced the indefinite extension of the suspension of flights to and from Iran after having refused to grant landing permits for two flights of Mahan Air due to Israeli threats to bomb Beirut airport. These bans provoked demonstrations by Hezbollah supporters, who blocked the road leading to the airport, near the southern suburbs of the capital where the party is heavily implanted.
At the end of February, a suitcase containing $2.5 million in cash “intended for Hezbollah” was confiscated from a man arriving from Turkey, in the first seizure of its kind, according to a security source quoted by Reuters.
'Lebanese state concerned with reconstruction'
Regarding the file of reconstruction, Fadlallah said that the Lebanese state is directly concerned with this issue, adding that the state should include this matter in the agenda of the Arab summit.
The upcoming regular Arab summit is scheduled for Saturday in Baghdad. The reconstruction file has been a prominent topic since the cease-fire agreement reached in late November following 13-months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The war caused immense damages, especially in Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa and the Southern suburbs of Beirut.
"The U.S. administration is significantly contributing to stopping the reconstruction of what the enemy destroyed, while this file is a national priority", Fadlallah said.