Israel Strikes Hezbollah Weapons Caches in Lebanon

Latest Developments

Israel carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah weapons caches deep inside Lebanon on February 19. The attack came in retaliation for a drone launched by the terrorist group toward the Sea of Galilee. The Hezbollah drone exploded in an open area near the sea, at least 15 miles from the Lebanese border, causing no damage or casualties but rattling a nearby civilian community.

The Israeli airstrikes hit two warehouses in Sidon, some 25 miles south of Beirut, that were used by the Iranian-backed group to store weapons. Bystander video showed large and sustained blasts, suggesting the secondary detonation of ordnance in the structures.

Expert Analysis

“For Hezbollah terrorists, Israel is a target-rich environment. They need only launch their weapons across the border to be confident of hitting innocents or, at least, spreading fear. Israel, by contrast, is careful to strike combatants, and what is remarkable is that, in more than four months of intensive clashes across the Lebanese border, it continues to find high-quality Hezbollah targets. Whether this points to constantly generative battlefield intelligence, or to a target bank assembled well in advance and being carefully whittled down, it is clear that the Israelis are conducting themselves with professionalism and restraint in the face of formidable provocations.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Those observing the events unfolding on the Israel-Lebanon border in the last four months will remember that it was Hezbollah who started the conflict. Hezbollah’s actions are not motivated by support for the Palestinian people but rather by a desire to protect key members of the Iran-led resistance axis in Gaza from being defeated by the Israeli military.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

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