IDF says Hezbollah rebuilding its arsenal, hints at wider Israeli military action

Israel’s military has warned that Hezbollah is rapidly rebuilding its military capabilities in Lebanon, prompting concerns that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) could widen operations against the group.

Senior Israeli intelligence officials say the Iran-backed organisation is working to restore its weapons stockpiles and re-establish smuggling routes through Syria, with support from Iran and Iraq, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

They believe Hezbollah’s rearmament efforts are currently concentrated north of the Litani River and not near Israel’s border.

According to officials, intelligence shared with the Trump administration shows that Hezbollah’s rebuilding is outpacing the Lebanese Army’s attempts to contain it. Israeli sources accuse the army of avoiding confrontation with Hezbollah, which remains Lebanon’s most powerful military and political force.

Foreign intelligence reports suggest that some weapons have already reached Hezbollah through overland routes from Iraq via Syria. The IDF says it continues to monitor these activities closely and conducts near-daily operations along the border.

Hezbollah suffered heavy losses during recent Israeli strikes, which have killed about 400 of its fighters and destroyed dozens of facilities, according to foreign media reports. Despite this, defence officials believe the group’s main goal for now is to preserve its influence within Lebanon rather than prepare for an immediate conflict.

A senior Israeli defence official said the country’s approach to security had changed since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.

“The IDF will act against any threat that emerges, regardless of the enemy’s motives,” he said.

Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy to Syria who has also been stationed in Lebanon, voiced concern about the slow pace of Hezbollah’s disarmament. He urged that weapons be restricted to the Lebanese government but acknowledged that forcibly disarming Hezbollah could risk igniting civil conflict.

Lebanese sources accused Israel of intensifying its strikes in recent weeks to pressure Beirut into renewed diplomatic talks. However, the former Lebanese military said that Hezbollah is unlikely to initiate an attack on Israel in the near future, despite its rearmament efforts.

The United States, which is involved in supervising the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, is said to be wary of any escalation that could destabilise Lebanon’s government or the fragile regional truce.

By Aghakazim Guliyev