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Israel targets Hezbollah smuggling routes along Syria-Lebanon border

Overnight strikes also targeted a rocket launcher site and a military facility.

Israel Air Force fighter jet
An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet at the Tel Nof Airbase on Jan. 1, 2024. Photo by Moshe Shai/Flash90.

The Israeli Defense Forces conducted several airstrikes on Hezbollah related sites in Lebanon overnight Monday.

These attacks aimed to address threats to Israel’s home front and military and to disrupt Hezbollah’s weapons smuggling routes, according to the military.

Targets included a rocket launcher site, a military facility and border routes between Syria and Lebanon.

The strikes followed intelligence assessments and were communicated under ceasefire monitoring mechanisms, as the threats had not been addressed by the Lebanese Armed Forces. The IDF reiterated its commitment to countering Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its forces.

The Israeli Air Force on Saturday struck three Hezbollah operatives on the Lebanese side of the border, near Israeli territory in the Har Dov area. Also on Saturday, the IAF targeted terrorists exiting a building in Southern Lebanon that belonged to Hezbollah.

The IDF’s 769th “Hiram” Brigade confiscated a significant cache of Hezbollah weapons during operations in Southern Lebanon, the army said on Friday.

Rocket launchers, mortar shells, rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-launched missiles and explosive devices were located, along with anti-tank firing positions and hidden weapons.

Israeli forces are gradually withdrawing from Southern Lebanon as part of a 60-day ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27, while the Lebanese Armed Forces and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) forces take over responsibilities for ensuring that Hezbollah remains disarmed south of the Litani River.

Joshua Marks is a news editor on the Jerusalem desk at JNS.org, where he covers Jewish affairs, the Middle East and global news.
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