Hezbollah’s Weapons Cache Reveals Global Supply Network, IDF Shows
Confiscated arms include missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv and illegal stockpiles breaching UN agreements, including systems from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea
In the green fields of northern Israel, less than 10 miles away from the Lebanese border, the Israeli military held a limited exhibition of weapons confiscated from Hezbollah—from simple handguns to sophisticated shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, modified trucks, and even guided missiles. Speaking to international media, Col. Roy Russo, chief of staff for the military division responsible for operational planning, coordination, and execution along Israel’s northern front with Lebanon, detailed the Israeli military’s accomplishments and acknowledged the enormity of Hezbollah’s military stock.
Among the haul were approximately 2,700 firearms, 6,840 rockets, missile launchers, and anti-tank missiles, 9,000 explosive weapons, 2,250 shells and indirect fire missiles, 60 anti-aircraft missiles, 2,860 additional weapons, 300 observation tools, 20 vehicles, and 60,800 pieces of electronic equipment, communication devices, computers, and documents.
RPG launchers and various systems, Amiad Camp, Israel. (Nathan Klaban/The Media Line)
The exhibit of some of the weaponry that we’ve taken out of Lebanon, in this one little area, has around 85,000 different pieces of equipment
“The exhibit of some of the weaponry that we’ve taken out of Lebanon, in this one little area, has around 85,000 different pieces of equipment,” Maj. David Baruch, an Israeli military spokesperson, said. “Some of it is even still active explosives. We’re trying to show the world the extent of the threat that existed along our border.”
The exhibition showed around 60% of the total equipment captured, with many items still wrapped in plastic. Representatives for the Israeli military noted that about 80% of Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon was destroyed.
Even Israeli military officials were taken aback by the number of weapons captured from Hezbollah. Russo said that the huge number of weapons amassed by Hezbollah represented a failure on the part of the Israeli military, which had relied too much on intercepted communications rather than gathering intelligence on the ground.
He said that Israel was lucky that Hamas and Hezbollah had failed to coordinate their attacks on October 7 of last year, noting that he believed Hezbollah, too, had been surprised by the Hamas attacks.
The captured Hezbollah equipment hailed from Russia, China, Iran, and even North Korea. “It’s disturbing, to be honest. You’re going to see quite clearly that there’s a symbol of the Iranian armed forces or the Iranian Guard as well. And we’re finding not just here, but we’re finding a lot of this, which is just another proof of the Iranian involvement,” Baruch said.
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Among the weapons captured was a missile launcher of the same model used in the July strike on Majdal Shams, a Druze town in the Golan Heights. Twelve children were killed in that attack.
Chinese antiaircraft system, Amiad Camp, Israel. (Nathan Klaban/The Media Line)
“It’s quite disturbing the amount of weaponry we’re finding along our border,” Baruch said. “No country would put up with this.”
He noted that the presence of Hezbollah weaponry in southern Lebanon was illegal under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the resolution that ended the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War. “And yet, all of this was held by Hezbollah, the world’s largest terrorist army,” he said.
Some of the missiles captured were capable of striking Haifa or even Tel Aviv, but most had a range of no more than 18 miles, Baruch said. He explained that most of the longer-range systems had been mounted on rooftops and were destroyed in Israeli strikes.
They’ve been using a lot of these anti-tank missiles along our border as anti-house missiles. They’re not shooting at tanks; they’re shooting at people’s homes.
Baruch explained that Hezbollah still had the ability to strike Israel and that Israel was prepared to respond as needed. “They’ve been using a lot of these anti-tank missiles along our border as anti-house missiles. They’re not shooting at tanks; they’re shooting at people’s homes. It’s a civilian area that they’re shooting at, and that’s what this whole story is about. We’re going after a terrorist organization; they’re going after civilians,” he said.
Various types of shells and guided missiles still in boxes, Amiad Camp, Israel. (Nathan Klaban/The Media Line)
“The goal in this operation has been to bring about a situation where the residents of the north can move back to their homes, live their lives quietly, without living in fear that they’re going to be attacked,” Baruch said. “Our goal has never been to destroy Hezbollah or its military capabilities. The goal is to bring the people back, and that’s what we’re working towards. Bringing them back means moving the immediate threat away from the border, moving it north of the Litani River.”
Our goal has never been to destroy Hezbollah or its military capabilities. The goal is to bring the people back.
If a total victory against Hezbollah isn’t in the cards at this moment, a tactical victory may be a suitable alternative. “We moved in certain areas just along the border, and what we’ve done is move them back; we’ve gotten rid of the threat. And so, what happens when we do away with that immediate threat is that obviously, they’re not going to be able to act against us so quickly,” Baruch said.
The mass of young Israeli soldiers taking selfies with the captured equipment suggested that many people in Israel are more than satisfied with the tactical victory.
Makeshift vehicles equipped with rocket launchers, Amiad Camp, Israel. (Nathan Klaban/The Media Line)
For now, the Israeli military is gradually moving out of southern Lebanon as the Lebanese military moves in. “We’re very optimistic that all agreements or all commitments by all sides will be met. However, we’re also being vigilant and making sure that those commitments are being met,” Baruch said. “And where they aren’t being met and where there is an immediate threat to us, we are answering that threat directly and immediately with fire.”
Baruch said that the Israeli military still doesn’t know what to do with all the captured weapons. Some may be displayed in a future exhibition about the war.
“Maybe the IDF should give some of this to Ukraine,” one soldier who asked not to be identified told The Media Line.
