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Source: https://jcfa.org/hizbullahs-explosives-smuggling-signals-preparations-for-renewed-war-with-israel/
Hizbullah's Explosives Smuggling Signals Preparations for Renewed War with Israel
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah - During August and September 2026, Syrian security forces and the Lebanese Army announced the seizure of rockets, RPG rounds, and automatic rifles, magazines, and ammunition. On Oct. 7, a Lebanese army checkpoint on the Damascus-Beirut road foiled an attempt by two members of Hizbullah to introduce 800 kg. of C4 and TNT military-grade explosives to Lebanon. Routine skirmishes and smaller tactical seizures occur regularly. Is this signaling that Hizbullah is preparing for an internal confrontation in Lebanon or preparations for a renewed conflict with Israel? Extensive Israeli air campaigns targeting underground Hizbullah infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley, Southern Lebanon, and the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut have destroyed significant stockpiles of pre-stored munitions, causing severe disruption and forcing the group to rapidly attempt replenishment via smuggling routes along the porous Syrian border. A renewed, sustained military confrontation with Israel is the primary strategic driver behind moving high explosives at this scale. The attempt to push bulk C4 and TNT across the border reflects an urgent effort to replenish degraded defensive stockpiles, support local weapon fabrication, and prepare for a long-haul military clash with Israel. The writer, a special analyst for the Middle East at the Jerusalem Center, was formerly Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence.