Netanyahu claims Hizballah using new sites to make precision-guided missiles

Hizballah is setting up more factories to develop precision-guided missiles after being forced to close down production sites following Israel's exposure of them several months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu claimed on Wednesday.

"Those sites near the Beirut airport, the underground sites for precision conversion of missiles, which (Israeli) military intelligence gave me, to expose, those sites were closed," he told an economic conference.

"They are trying to open other sites. But through these measures we are denying them precision arms."

Netanyahu said in September during an address to the UN General Assembly that Hizballah had secret missile conversion sites near Beirut airport.

But Lebanon's foreign minister took dozens of international diplomats and journalists on a tour of the alleged missile sites in a bid to refute Israel's claims.

That same month, Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that the group had acquired precision-guided missiles despite Israeli attempts to prevent it from obtaining such weapons.

Israel has launched scores of airstrikes in Syria to halt the suspected transfer of arms for Hizballah.

Netanyahu's comments come amid rising tensions with Hizballah after Israel announced an operation dubbed "Northern Shield" to destroy tunnels it said have been dug under the border by Hizballah.

Israel says it has found four Hizballah "attack tunnels" leading from Lebanon into its territory.

UNIFIL has verified the existence of two of the tunnels Israel has exposed so far.