Israel strikes Hezbollah border crossings between Lebanon and Syria

Israel has announced that its air force targeted crossing points along the Lebanon-Syria border utilized by Hezbollah for smuggling weapons into Lebanon. The Israeli military emphasized that these smuggling activities violate the existing ceasefire agreements between Israel and Lebanon.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the overnight airstrikes rendered an “illegal crossing” near Lebanon’s Wadi Khaled, adjacent to Syria’s Homs province, inoperative and resulted in several injuries. The strikes occurred after a convoy of smuggler vehicles was detected moving from Syria toward Lebanon.

Lebanon’s National News Agency noted that Israeli aircraft were observed flying at low altitudes over Hermel city and surrounding areas in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border.

This development follows a fragile ceasefire established on November 27, after over a year of hostilities, including two months of intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Both parties have accused each other of breaching the ceasefire terms.

Under the ceasefire agreement, the Lebanese military was to deploy in southern Lebanon alongside U.N. peacekeepers as Israeli forces withdrew over a 60-day period, later extended to February 18. Hezbollah was expected to retreat north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in the south.

However, just before the latest deadline, Israel announced it would maintain troops in five “strategic points” near the border. Earlier this month, the Israeli military reported conducting an airstrike on a tunnel along the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah for weapon smuggling.

In January, Israeli airstrikes targeted areas in eastern and southern Lebanon, with the Israeli military stating that the operations were against Hezbollah targets, including smuggling routes along the Syrian border.

The Lebanon-Syria border spans approximately 330 kilometers without official demarcation. Hezbollah, which has significant influence in regions along this border, has been actively involved in the Syrian conflict, supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.