Lebanon’s transport minister has denied that Hezbollah is storing weapons at Beirut airport, as fears grow of all-out war between the group and Israel, AFP reports.

Ali Hamieh called a press conference to deny the allegations of “absurd articles” in the media, attacking the British daily The Telegraph. The newspaper said the group is storing missiles and rockets at the airport, where “whistleblowers” had reported the arrival of “unusually big boxes”.

“I am holding this press conference to clarify that everything that has been written in The Telegraph is false and to say that there are no weapons entering or leaving Beirut airport,” Hamieh told journalists. He spoke from Beirut International Airport, located in an area south of the capital where Hezbollah is influential.

Hamieh invited ambassadors and journalists to inspect the airport on Monday morning in a visit “open to all”.

The Lebanese air transport union condemned in a statement the “simply erroneous statements and lies aimed at endangering Beirut airport and its employees, all civilians, and those who frequent it”.