Israel finds massive Hezbollah weapon cache at ‘military base disguised as village’ in Lebanon
Among the discoveries made was a truck mounted with 40 rocket launcher barrels, located by the IDF near a Lebanese village close to the Israeli border.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have made another significant discovery, uncovering a significant cache of weapons hidden within civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon, reports suggested.
These discoveries underscore ongoing concerns about Hezbollah's military buildup and its exploitation of civilian areas for terrorist purposes, regardless of the ceasefire conditions, even as a fragile deal between Israel and Lebanon holds.
"Those aren't villages with some military infrastructure, this is a military base disguised as a civilian area," Sarit Zahavi, president of the Alma Research Center, told The Press Service of Israel.
Among the discoveries made on Friday was a truck mounted with 40 rocket launcher barrels, located by the IDF's 226th Brigade near Naqoura, a village close to the Israeli border. Additional military equipment, including explosives, RPG missiles, and rifles, was found concealed inside a pharmacy, while underground facilities held "Burkan" missiles and other weapons ready for use.
Zahavi, a resident o northern Israel, stressed the ongoing tension among Israeli communities near the border. She emphasized that the IDF's findings illustrate the extent of Hezbollah's military buildup.
Hezbollah appears to be preparing for the next phase of conflict. Zahavi noted that the group is already coordinating reconstruction efforts through its organization, "Jihad al-Bina".
Israel’s airstrike targets Hezbollah amid tensions with UNIFIL
The IDF carried out an airstrike targeting Hezbollah's Unit 4400, which oversees weapons smuggling from Iran through Syria into Lebanon, on Friday.
According to the IDF, these actions aim to disrupt Hezbollah's rearmament efforts following the war.
The discoveries come amid growing friction between the IDF and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In a statement on December 26, UNIFIL urged both sides to respect the ceasefire agreement and adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
"Any actions that risk the fragile cessation of hostilities must cease," the statement read, highlighting concerns over IDF operations in residential areas. UNIFIL emphasized its role in ensuring that the area south of the Litani River remains free of armed personnel and weapons other than those of the Lebanese government and the mission itself.
The IDF dismissed the UNIFIL criticism, asserting in the comment for TPS-IL that its operations are in line with the ceasefire understandings.
"The IDF operates in accordance with the agreements and understandings between Israel and Lebanon, maintaining the terms of the ceasefire. The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon and will act to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens," the IDF stated. It reiterated the commitment to protect Israeli citizens and ensure that southern Lebanon does not become a launching pad for future attacks.
Uncertainty looms over what comes next even as one month has passed since the ceasefire. While the IDF continues to uncover and dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure, the current peace seems tenuous at best.
Under the terms of a two-month ceasefire that went into effect on November 27, Hezbollah is supposed to withdraw its armed presence from areas of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River.
Israeli forces will also withdraw from southern Lebanon in stages. The Lebanese Armed Forces are to be deployed there first, including along the 120 km border with Israel, with monitors from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah is forbidden from operating in southern Lebanon south of the Litani River.
(With ANI inputs)
