Israel warns of Hezbollah's huge arsenal

Israel warned the international community that Hezbollah is arming itself to an unprecedented level, including the possibility of acquiring Syria's chemical weapons. In a letter to the Secretary-General and Security Council President issued on Wednesday, Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor said Hezbollah has built up its arsenal to "unprecedented levels, amassing 50,000 deadly missiles in Lebanon." He noted that Hezbollah now has more missiles than many members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have in their possession, and can reach all of Israel and well beyond. "The failure to enforce the arms embargo in Lebanon undermines the basic fabric of security and stability in our region. It could have catastrophic consequences," he warned. Today, he added, the world faces the "frightening prospect that Assad's vast stockpiles of chemical weapons could soon fall into Hezbollah's hands in Lebanon. The international community does not have the luxury of ignoring this dangerous reality any longer." Prosor called on the Council and all responsible members of the international community to send a "clear signal that Hezbollah's rapid rearmament will not be tolerated - backed by concrete steps on the ground." A "logical first step," he suggested, is to ensure that Hezbollah is placed on relevant terrorism watch lists in all corners of the globe, including in the European Union. He recalled the series of "mysterious" explosions that occur in the midst of Lebanon's civilian population, the latest of which took place last week in a large Hezbollah weapons depot in Tair Harfa, less than 300 metres from a school and less than three kilometers from the Israeli border. "This explosion offers yet another reminder to the world about the grave danger before our eyes in Lebanon," he stressed.