Hezbollah leader warns Israel of retaliation if its involvement in Beirut blast is proven

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on August 14 said that his group will retaliate if Israel's involvement is proven in the latest Beirut post explosions. Nasrallah, the leader of the Shia Islamist group said in a televised speech on Friday that there are two theories currently doing rounds, one that the blast was caused by negligence and another that it was due to foreign interference, and if the later is proven after the investigation then Israel will pay an 'equal price'. Meanwhile, Israel, Hezbollah's key enemy state, has denied any involvement in the blast. 

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Experts suggest that government negligence is to be blamed for the blast as the high explosive material was stored at the warehouse without following safety protocols since it was confiscated in 2013. As per media reports, many officials, including as recently as in July, had warned authorities about the chemical compound near residential areas and urged them to move it, but the requests fell in deaf ears. Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned following massive protests in Lebanon against the ruling elite and their way of governance.  

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Beirut explosion

Lebanon's capital Beirut was struck by massive explosions on August 4 killing at least 177 people and injuring thousands of others. According to reports, the explosion was caused by 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, equivalent to 1.2 kt of TNT, that was unsafely stored at Beirut port since 2014 and was purportedly triggered by an intense fire nearby the warehouse. The blast that left nearly 3,00,000 people homeless is said to be among the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in recorded history.  

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