Hezbollah Smuggles Hundreds of Rockets into Lebanon, Israel Warns of Escalation

Hezbollah has successfully smuggled hundreds of short-range rockets into Lebanon in recent months, according to a report by Suliman Maswada on Kan News.

The rockets were reportedly transferred via Syria into Lebanon. Israeli officials updated visiting senior U.S. government representatives in Jerusalem this week on the smuggling operations, describing the transfers as a blatant violation of understandings that led to the ceasefire.

During meetings in recent days between top Israeli defense officials, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the U.S. delegation, Israel emphasized the severity of the breach and requested American authorization to resume strikes in Lebanon in response.

Some of the smuggled rockets have already been targeted by Israeli forces, though many remain dispersed across Lebanon.

The commander of the fire center in the Northern Command stated earlier this week that the Israel Defense Forces are preparing for several days of potential combat in the north to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its arsenal in violation of the ceasefire. “Hezbollah is trying to rearm. We will stop it at all costs, even if it means days of fighting,” he said.

According to i24NEWS, the senior officer added, “The dust from the war has settled, the shock from Operation Half North is over, and Hezbollah is resuming work. We will not accept this; we are acting against it. There will be no more equations of attack here or there. They will not wield force against Israel.”