The Israeli army struck Lebanese “Hezbollah” positions along the Syria-Lebanon border on Wednesday, 21 January.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Israel carried out airstrikes on four crossing points in the Hermel area, between Syria and Lebanon, which he said “Hezbollah” uses to transfer weapons.
In a post on X, Adraee added that the Israeli army earlier struck the Sidon area in western Lebanon, announcing the death of Mohammad Awdeh. He said Awdeh was a central arms trader and smuggler within “Hezbollah.”
Adraee said Awdeh oversaw weapons transfers to “Hezbollah” through a shell company that moved prohibited goods from various countries, including Iraq, Syria, and Gulf states.
He also coordinated a large number of smugglers responsible for moving weapons from Iraq to Syria and Lebanon, according to Adraee.
Adraee said the Israeli army continues to monitor “Hezbollah’s” rearmament attempts across all weapons-smuggling routes and that it would act against any breach of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
Strikes on Lebanon
The Israeli army had previously announced on Wednesday that it targeted a “Hezbollah” member in the Sidon area.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) quoted a medical source as saying a Lebanese man was killed in an Israeli strike that hit a car in the town of al-Zahrani in the Sidon district.
Enab Baladi’s online search did not yield any information indicating that Awdeh belonged to “Hezbollah.”
“Hezbollah” did not comment on the strikes or on the person Israel claimed was facilitating arms smuggling into Lebanon.
Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory have repeatedly occurred on Wednesday, especially in the south, “Hezbollah’s” main stronghold, following warnings by the Israeli army that identified sites it said were the group’s military infrastructure.
The Israeli army carried out strikes on the locations it identified, according to Lebanon’s official news agency, which noted that residents were displaced after the Israeli warning.
Israeli aircraft carry out near-daily raids on multiple locations in Lebanon, saying they target “Hezbollah” sites.
Israel and “Hezbollah” agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024 after months of a wide operation launched by Tel Aviv against the Lebanese group, but Israel violated the agreement hours after it was announced.
For its part, the Lebanese army said in a statement on Wednesday that what it called Israeli attacks and violations against Lebanon continue to target civilian buildings and homes in several areas, most recently in southern villages. It described this as a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and security” and of the cessation of hostilities agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
It added that these attacks hinder the army’s efforts and obstruct the completion of its plan, intimidate civilians, cause deaths and injuries among them, and displace dozens of families who lost their homes.
It said the targeting negatively affects stability in the region.
Smuggling between Syria and Lebanon
Israeli reports have previously spoken of active smuggling movements between countries neighboring Israel, especially Syria. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israeli soldiers and military commanders on the border describing the conditions and nature of smuggling operations, including via drones and people throwing bags filled with weapons and money over the border fence before quickly fleeing.
In its report published on 7 November 2025, the newspaper quoted the commander of Battalion 7241 as saying a complex reality is forming in the Syrian area near the border: “On the one hand, people live there and lead routine lives, and on the other hand, there are many terrorist elements that want to harm us, along with criminal elements,” adding, “There is no police and no government to enforce order there.”
The report, quoting an Israeli officer, said the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the changing reality in Lebanon, and the relatively open Jordanian border created new and complex smuggling routes that must be disrupted. It added that they had found at least one smuggling route in Syria.
Israeli aircraft have repeatedly targeted the Syria-Lebanon border area, where unofficial crossings are spread. Tel Aviv says “Hezbollah” uses these crossings to transfer weapons, though the strikes have decreased after the fall of the regime.
On the other hand, Syria’s Ministry of Interior has announced on more than one occasion that it thwarted arms-smuggling operations between Syria and Lebanon.
The post Israel strikes “Hezbollah” sites between Syria and Lebanon appeared first on Enab Baladi.