Aerial view, taken on Aug. 17, 2020, of the wheat silos at Beirut Port, ravaged by the deadly explosion on Aug. 4, 2020. (Credit: Karine Pierre and Hans Lucas/AFP)
On the fifth anniversary of the deadly explosion at Beirut Port, on Aug. 4, 2020, Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, published a message on X Monday in which he vehemently denounced Hezbollah's supposed role.
"Five years ago, we were the first to reach out to the Lebanese people, offering sincere humanitarian assistance ... without distinction of religion, denomination or political affiliation," he wrote. "We simply saw a people in distress, and we responded to humanity’s call."
On the evening of the tragedy, Israel offered humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, with which it is technically at war. "Israel turned to Lebanon through international security and political contacts to offer humanitarian and medical aid to the Lebanese government," Israeli foreign and defense ministries announced at the time.
For Adraee, "even at that time, it was perfectly clear who ... insisted on dragging Lebanon into hell."
"Hezbollah is the cause of Lebanon's calamity," he stated, accusing the party of having "played a central role in causing the port disaster by storing explosive materials in the heart of the capital." He added that Hezbollah "mocked the helping hand extended to Lebanon, and preferred to throw itself into the arms of the Iranian regime, as usual, even at the expense of its people."
Beirut airport and port are considered to have served as transit points for the party’s weapons and funds for many years, and it has also largely lost its land supply routes from Syria, following the fall of its ally, the deposed President Bashar al-Assad, last December. Hezbollah has been blamed by its detractors for being responsible for transporting and storing the ammonium nitrate that caused the deadly explosion on Aug. 4, 2020. The party denies these accusations, as the investigation continues and several security and political officials have been charged by Judge Tarek Bitar, some of whom are close to the party.
The Israeli spokesperson also reproached Hezbollah for “deceiving people with slogans of resistance,” for “turning Lebanon into a hostage in the hands of Iran,” for having “dragged the country into wars, paralyzed institutions, impoverished people, driven away youth, and contributed to the port explosion.”
"We cut off its hands and legs in the last war, and unveiled its truth before the world, and despite that it continues to persist in the calamity of the Lebanese ... as if the destruction of Lebanon was its only project," the Israeli army spokesperson added. His comments come as Lebanon emerged from a devastating war with Israel that severely weakened Hezbollah. Despite the adoption of a cease-fire on Nov. 27, 2024, the Israeli army continues to occupy five positions along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, and carries out almost daily strikes in the south of the country and the Bekaa Valley.
Adraee concluded his message by saying: "We were, and we will remain with the Lebanese people, but is the Lebanese people with itself?"
His post was accompanied by a screenshot of a message he had already published on the same platform, dated Aug. 4, 2020, illustrated by a photo of the Lebanese and Israeli flags side by side. He wrote: "On instructions from the Defense and Foreign Affairs ministers, Israel reached out to Lebanon through security, political and international channels, and proposed humanitarian and medical aid. Israel has great expertise in these areas, as evidenced by the many humanitarian missions it has conducted around the world in recent years. It is time to put aside all conflicts."
On Aug. 4, 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history devastated entire neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital, leaving 235 dead and 6,500 injured. This disaster, which has become a symbol of a culture of impunity, was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer were stored without precautions, despite repeated warnings to the highest officials. President Joseph Aoun said Monday that the Lebanese state was "committed to uncovering the whole truth, no matter the obstacles or the high positions involved."
