Published: 10:51, February 23, 2025 | Updated: 11:14, February 23, 2025
Israel strikes Lebanon-Syria border crossings, claims Hezbollah smuggling weapons
By Xinhua

Women sit on the rubble of their destroyed home in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila near the border with Israel on Feb 19, 2025. (PHOTO / AFP)

JERUSALEM/DAMASCUS - The Israeli military said on Saturday it conducted airstrikes targeting border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of using the routes to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the crossings were exploited by Hezbollah "in attempts to illegally transfer arms," calling such activities "a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon" effective since Nov. 27, 2024.

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The IDF vowed to "continue operating to neutralize threats to Israel" and prevent Hezbollah, which it labeled a "terrorist organization," from "rebuilding its military capabilities."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the Israeli strikes hit locations in Syria's rugged Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border. The monitor described the sites as historically significant for Hezbollah's alleged arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon.

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No casualties or damage have been reported yet. There were no immediate official statements from Syrian or Lebanese authorities, or Hezbollah.