Plot to Kill Damascus Rabbi Highlights Hezbollah’s Goal To Destabilize Syria

During former dictator Bashar al-Assad’s rule, Hezbollah used Syria as a launchpad for weapons smuggling into Lebanon. Today, even after the fall of Assad’s regime, the group is still working to destabilize the country by stirring sectarian tensions and exploiting local networks to claw its way back in.

On April 11, the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of five individuals in connection with a plot to target an unidentified religious figure in Damascus, later identified as Rabbi Michael Khoury. According to the ministry, one of the suspects was planning to plant an explosive device near the rabbi’s residence, noting that “preliminary investigations revealed the cell’s link to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and that its members received specialized military training abroad.” The incident was a reminder of Hezbollah’s ability to maintain covert local networks inside Syria.

Rabbi Khoury is among the Jewish figures to have visited Syria following the fall of the Assad regime. In December 2025, he joined Syrian Jews from the United States in reopening the Elfrange Synagogue in the Syrian capital.  

Hezbollah Turns to Chaos at Home and Abroad as Its Military Weakens

It is not surprising that Hezbollah seeks to sow chaos in a neighboring country while the IDF continues its campaign to degrade the group’s military capabilities, including by expanding ground operations in southern Lebanon.

After the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah faced mounting domestic and international pressure tied to rearmament efforts and its independent security and communications networks. When the Lebanese government moved to dismantle part of that network and remove an airport security official seen as close to the group in May 2008, Hezbollah did not respond by confronting the state directly. Instead, its operatives attacked large parts of West Beirut and the Chouf Mountains, targeting opposing Sunni and Druze factions. Hezbollah weaponized sectarian tensions at a moment when it perceived its capabilities and networks were under threat.

Hezbollah’s Post-Assad Exploitation of Syria

Syria is no exception to Hezbollah’s strategy. Despite the fall of the Assad regime — long a key ally, a conduit for weapons, and a haven for its financial activity — the group continues to pursue ways to expand its foothold by fostering instability. While Hezbollah does not maintain the same overt presence it once enjoyed in Syria, it still relies on local networks that can operate on its behalf.

Syrian authorities have thwarted dozens of attempts to smuggle a wide array of weapons to Hezbollah, many along long-established routes. At the same time, Hezbollah-linked cells have engaged in destabilizing activity inside Syria itself. In at least two separate instances, operatives launched rockets from inside Syria toward critical targets in Damascus, including the Mezzeh neighborhood, home to the presidential palace.

Washington Should Encourage Syria-Israel Alignment To Counter Hezbollah Smuggling

Despite facing different threats from Hezbollah, both Israel and Syria share an interest in constraining and degrading the terror organization.

Through multiple rounds of engagement facilitated by the United States, the two sides have “decided to establish a joint fusion mechanism” to “address any disputes.” The logical next step would be to expand this mechanism to include cooperation on preventing Hezbollah’s rearmament through Syrian territory. Israel is reportedly interested in a more active Syrian role in disrupting these flows. Damascus is beginning to assume this responsibility, as evidenced by recent efforts, beginning in March 2026, to close cross-border tunnels used for smuggling.

Ahmad Sharawi is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.