Hezbollah’s Disregard for the Understandings Reached in Lebanon - Here’s What You Need to Know

On October 8, the day after the October 7 massacre, Hezbollah joined Hamas' war against the state of Israel. In approximately 15 months, Hezbollah has launched more than 16,100 projectiles toward Israel, leaving many communities in northern Israel in ruins, and causing more than 60,000 Israeli civilians to be evacuated. Fires caused by Hezbollah strikes have also burned more than 100 square kilometers of Israeli land.

For more than 17 years, Hezbollah has been preparing to attack Israel, building up its military strength - funded and backed by Iran. 

Hezbollah started this war as the best armed and funded terrorist organization in the world, with an arsenal of more than 150,000 rockets, advanced strategic weapons and drones. These weapons were embedded across Lebanon, along a 100km border with Israel, in blatant violation of UNSC Resolution 1701. This vast arsenal was just one part of Hezbollah’s plan of attack against Israel, similar to the plan that led to the October 7th massacre, with the participation of the Radwan forces, Hezbollah’s elite special unit. 

As a response to Hezbollah's attacks, in accordance with the decision of the political echelon, on the night of September 30, 2024, the IDF began limited, localized and targeted operations against Hezbollah terrorist targets in the border area of southern Lebanon.Thus began operation “Northern Arrows”. Targets were located in villages close to the border and posed an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel. 

During the operations, the IDF conducted intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure and destroyed over 2,500 targets - seizing ​​85,000 anti-tank missiles, launchers, rockets and other munitions from terror cells to prevent future attacks. The IDF also eliminated more than 4,000 Hezbollah terrorists, including senior commanders such as Hassan Nasrallah, Fouad Shukr and Ibrahim Aqil - all responsible for hundreds of terrorist attacks around the world that have claimed the lives of thousands of U.S., French, Lebanese and Israeli citizens, among many others. For these attacks, and many other crimes, members of Hezbollah’s high command were designated by the U.S. as wanted terrorists. 

On November 27th, 2024, the understandings between Israel and Lebanon were reached. The gradual withdrawal of the IDF from southern Lebanon, in coordination with the U.S.-led Monitoring Mechanism as part of these understandings, is continuing. The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon, and will continue to operate against any threat posed by Hezbollah to Israel and its civilians, since Hezbollah has repeatedly violated its terms by continuing to prepare for and attempt to carry out attacks on Israeli territory. Such events demonstrate the terrorists' deliberate and consistent disregard for international law and a desire for peaceful coexistence. 

Particular attention should be paid to Hezbollah's tactics to evade the ceasefire understanding, which include the use of civilian targets for attacks. Thus, during the ceasefire period, Hezbollah terrorists have been found in places of worship such as churches and mosques. Only three days after the ceasefire was signed, on November 30th, during IDF searches in southern Lebanon, the soldiers located and confiscated weapons that were stored in a mosque by Hezbollah terrorists. On the very next day (December 1st), IDF troops identified several armed terrorists adjacent to a church in southern Lebanon that was actively used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization. The terrorists were operatives in the Hezbollah Khiam ground defense, anti-tank missile, and artillery units, and shot at the troops from the church. IDF troops fired toward the terrorists and eliminated them. Following the elimination of the terrorists, the soldiers scanned the church area and located a tunnel shaft containing weapons. 

IDF intelligence has shown that the Hezbollah terrorist organization, specifically Unit 4400, with the support of the Syrian regime, used civilian infrastructure to smuggle weapons and  prepare for subsequent attacks against Israel. Thus, on December 6th and December 27th, January 31st and February 9th, guided by IDF intelligence, the Israeli Air Force struck terrorist infrastructure used for smuggling and manufacturing weapons on the Lebanon-Syria border to prevent Hezbollah’s rebuilding of military capabilities. 

Hezbollah terrorists used medical facilities, residential areas to store weapons and carry out attacks, thereby endangering the lives of Lebanese civilians. On December 27th, the 226th Brigade discovered a truck with 40 rocket launchers and a weapons cache inside a pharmacy in southern Lebanon. On January 1, 25 and 28,  IDF soldiers identified Hezbollah terrorists who used vehicles to transfer weapons and attack IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon, a clear violation of the ceasefire understandings. To eliminate the threat, the Israeli Air Force struck the weapons depots and the vehicles. 

On January 16, IDF soldiers dismantled terror infrastructure above and below ground,  located numerous weapons depots in structures near a central UN post in the area and a loaded launcher aimed at Israeli territory, and neutralized other threats in the area.

Hezbollah terrorists also continued to attempt to rebuild their military capabilities and prepare for new attacks. Thus, on December 16, 22, and 31, as well as January 10, 22, 23, and 24, IDF soldiers discovered Hezbollah positions and active military facilities. These facilities included weapons depots in which weapons were found, including missile launchers, explosive material, dozens of AK-47 rifles, grenades, wire-guided missiles, mines, surveillance equipment, explosive devices, tactical combat gear and more. The facilities found were destroyed and the weapons were seized.

Violations of the ceasefire understanding also have humanitarian consequences, complicating the situation for Lebanese civilians. Each new violation by Hezbollah poses additional risks to Israeli security and stability in the region in general, as well as the Lebanese civilians that live around the terrorist infrastructure that Hezbollah itself embedded in civilian areas. IDF troops are deployed across southern Lebanon and continue to act against any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.

On January 30 2025,  Hezbollah terrorists attempted to attack Israel directly for the first time since the ceasefire came into effect by launching a UAV that was intercepted by the IAF.

The international community must take action and hold Hezbollah accountable. Hezbollah remains a threat to the stability of the Middle East, endangering the stability of neighboring countries.
In response to these threats, the IDF will act in accordance with the political directive, consistent with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon that came into effect on 27.11.24 to ensure the safety and security of the State of Israel and its citizens.