Israeli Military Reports Weapons Find in Southern Lebanon Home

Israeli troops found weapons and Hezbollah materials inside a civilian home during operations in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Sunday, November 1. The discovery took place in the El-Khiam area, where the IDF said its 769th Brigade was working to dismantle infrastructure belonging to the group within the security zone.

The military released a video showing posters on the walls of a child’s bedroom in the house. Those pictured included Hassan Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah leader. According to the IDF, troops searching the same property also discovered guns, ammunition magazines and equipment that the military described as being used for terrorism.

The reported discoveries extended beyond the civilian property. At other locations within the security zone, troops found rockets, Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition and explosive drones, the military said. The IDF also reported locating a facility used to store explosive drones and said troops dismantled it during their operations in the area.

Separately, Lebanese authorities pursued a case involving the movement of explosives, as the government also works to limit Hezbollah’s influence and disarm the group. Over the weekend, the Lebanese Military Court charged 13 Hezbollah members in connection with an explosives smuggling operation.

Two of the men facing charges had been arrested while transporting the explosives. They were the only two among the 13 charged who remained in Lebanese custody. The case followed the discovery of explosives at a checkpoint in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in October.

That discovery raised suspicions that the materials might have been intended for a political assassination. The possible purpose of the explosives was disputed, with Hezbollah giving an account that differed from the concerns raised after the shipment was intercepted at the checkpoint.

Hezbollah maintained that the explosives were meant to be used against Israel. Lebanese commentators, however, said the materials were of the same type as those used in the truck bombing that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri.

The court charges concern the explosives smuggling operation. The suspected possibility of an assassination plot and Hezbollah’s claim that Israel was the intended target represent differing accounts of what the materials were meant for, while the two arrested men remained in Lebanese custody.