Israel Accuses Hezbollah of Trying to Restore Combat Capabilities and Smuggle Weapons from Syria

The Israeli army on Tuesday accused the Lebanese group Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild its combat capabilities in southern Lebanon and of smuggling weapons from Syria into Lebanese territory, amid rising tensions along the southern border.

In a statement, Israeli army spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said that “Iran-backed Hezbollah is violating the ceasefire agreement in effect since last year through its activities south of the Litani River,” adding that Israeli forces are “carrying out strikes against Hezbollah targets in the area.”

For its part, Lebanese authorities accused Israel of violating the same ceasefire agreement by “occupying new positions along the southern border” and conducting “airstrikes and ground incursions inside Lebanese territory.”

The Israeli military spokesperson stated that the group “is attempting to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon through multiple routes,” noting that the army is working to “prevent these attempts and shut down the land crossings” used for smuggling.

In response, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, in a televised address, said that the group “remains committed to the ceasefire agreement signed in 2024,” but stressed that “Israeli aggressions cannot continue without a response.”

The statements come amid growing tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where both sides have traded accusations of violating the ceasefire that ended a round of military clashes last year.