‘Significant’ Damage: IDF Strikes Hezbollah Smuggling Routes Between Syria and Lebanon

Latest Developments

• Israeli Airstrikes Target Weapons Smuggling Routes: The IDF carried out strikes on November 13 targeting smuggling routes that Hezbollah’s Unit 4400 uses to transport weapons into Lebanon. Syrian state media reported “significant” damage to bridges and roads near the Syria-Lebanon border.

• Unit 4400 Coordinates Cash Transfers From Iran: In addition to transporting weapons from Iran and its regional proxies to Lebanon, Hezbollah’s Unit 4400 is responsible for transferring funds. In a televised briefing on October 21, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari explained that Hezbollah raises funds through sales of Iranian oil in Syria as well as by flying in cash directly from Tehran to Beirut. On October 1, the IDF eliminated Unit 4400 chief Muhammad Jafar Qassir in Beirut. Israeli forces killed his successor in Syria on October 21.

• Israel’s Pre-October 7 ‘Campaign Between Wars’: Before Hamas drew Israel into war with its massacre on October 7, 2023, the Jewish state had been striking Iranian assets in Syria as part of a shadow operation known as the “campaign between wars.” Israel rarely claimed responsibility for individual strikes, although it acknowledged a sustained effort to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria and the transportation of advanced weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon via Syria.

FDD Expert Response

“For over a month, Israel has concentrated a disproportionate number of attacks on Hezbollah’s Unit 4400. Israel’s purpose is to strangle Hezbollah’s weapons supply to degrade its ability to fight the current war as well as complicate the group’s ability to regenerate after the war.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow

“Hezbollah’s military infrastructure extends well beyond the borders of Lebanon, reaching into Syria, Iraq, Iran, and beyond. For Israel, dismantling this infrastructure is crucial, as it would significantly undermine Hezbollah’s capacity to transfer advanced arms into Lebanon. However, Israel needs to anticipate future developments and strategize for the possibility that Hezbollah may substitute parts of its smuggling operations with locally manufactured advanced weaponry.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The Syrian-Lebanese frontier remains a critical lifeline for Hezbollah, allowing the group to rearm. Syria functions as a strategic base, facilitating the storage and transfer of weapons to Lebanon from Iran, which are used to launch attacks on Israeli population centers.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“Hezbollah’s Unit 4400,” by David Daoud and Ahmad Sharawi

“The War After the War Between Wars,” by Jonathan Schanzer

“Israel Strikes at Hezbollah’s Iran-Backed Banks in Lebanon,” FDD Flash Brief

“10 Things to Know About Hezbollah,” FDD Insight