Jerusalem, June 10 Israel fears that some US military aid to Lebanon may fall into the hands of Hezbollah, the Shia militia with which it fought a war three years ago, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Wednesday.
‘When it comes to Lebanon… we have not much appreciated the delivery of American arms these past months,’ Barak told public radio. ‘We fear that a part of this materiel falls into the hands of Hezbollah.’
Barak’s comments came after a pro-Western coalition defeated a Hezbollah-led alliance in a parliamentary election in neighbouring Lebanon on Sunday.
The defence minister said the next Lebanese government must be given a chance. ‘Lebanon has the potential to become a calm place, only the future will tell if that’s possible.’
Since 2006, the United States has supplied close to 500 million dollars in military aid to Lebanon, including aircraft, tanks, light arms, vehicles and training.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in July-August 2006 after the Shia militia seized two soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid. The war killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
Following Sunday’s election, Israel warned that a new Lebanese government would be responsible for preventing attacks from its soil, while Hezbollah said bluntly it would not countenance any discussion over its military arsenal.
–Agencies