The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported on Monday the discovery of more than 225 hidden weapons stockpiles in Southern Lebanon since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
According to a UNIFIL statement, the coordinates of the arms caches have been relayed to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) for appropriate action. The finds raise fresh concerns about Hezbollah’s ongoing military entrenchment in Southern Lebanon, in violation of the ceasefire terms.
UNIFIL’s expanded mandate, authorized under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 following the 2006 Lebanon War, tasks the force with assisting the Lebanese government in extending its authority across the south. This includes ensuring that the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border remains free of unauthorized weapons and armed groups.
The peacekeeping mission continues to facilitate coordination between the Israel Defense Forces and the Lebanese military, while monitoring compliance with the ceasefire agreement. UNIFIL also supports the deployment and operations of the Lebanese military in Southern Lebanon.
Despite international efforts to stabilize the area, tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier remain high. Observers warn that repeated violations and insufficient enforcement of Resolution 1701 threaten to undermine regional stability.
On May 8, the Israeli Air Force carried out precision strikes on Hezbollah-linked targets in Southern Lebanon. Israeli defense officials said the strikes were a direct response to multiple ceasefire violations by Hezbollah, including attempted infiltrations and weapons smuggling near the border.
The strike followed a series of Israeli operations targeting Hezbollah and Hamas operatives in Lebanon. On May 7, the IDF killed Khalid Ahmad Ahmad, a senior Hamas operative based near Sidon. Ahmad led Hamas’s Western Brigade activities in Lebanon and was involved in cross-border attacks, arms trafficking and orchestrating terror operations against Israel.
A day earlier, the IDF reported the elimination of Adnan Muhammad Sadiq Harb, a senior Hezbollah commander in the group’s elite Badr Unit. According to Israel, Harb played a key role in rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure both north and south of the Litani River—in direct defiance of the 2006 ceasefire.
In recent days, the IDF has also targeted Hezbollah weapons production facilities in the Beqaa Valley and arms depots in Beirut’s Dahiya district, warning that no location in Lebanon will serve as a sanctuary for Iranian-backed terrorists.
Jerusalem has reiterated that the Lebanese government bears full responsibility for preventing Hezbollah from restoring its offensive capabilities on Lebanese soil.