Jerusalem, Feb 23 (IANS) The Israeli military said on Saturday it conducted airstrikes targeting border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of using the routes to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the crossings were exploited by Hezbollah “in attempts to illegally transfer arms,” calling such activities “a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon” effective since November 27, 2024, Xinhua news agency reported.
The IDF vowed to “continue operating to neutralise threats to Israel” and prevent Hezbollah, which it labeled a “terrorist organisation,” from “rebuilding its military capabilities.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the Israeli strikes hit locations in Syria’s rugged Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border. The monitor described the sites as historically significant for Hezbollah’s alleged arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon.
No casualties or damage have been reported yet. There were no immediate official statements from Syrian or Lebanese authorities, or Hezbollah.
Earlier in February the Israeli military has launched airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in eastern and southern Lebanon.
An Israeli aircraft struck an underground tunnel used by Hezbollah for arms transfers in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa region, which extended from Syria into Lebanese territory and had previously been targeted by Israeli forces, an Israeli military spokesperson said.
The Israeli Air Force also struck sites in southern Lebanon that contained “munitions and rocket launchers that posed an imminent threat,” the spokesperson added.
–IANS
int/rs