The IDF revealed for the first time the massive arsenal seized from Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces in the border area with Lebanon. Nearly a month after the northern cease-fire began, the IDF on Wednesday showcased the significant collection of weapons and equipment Hezbollah had prepared for a large-scale invasion of Israel. The plan, described as far deadlier than the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, was thwarted during IDF ground operations.
Over 85,000 Weapons, Missiles and Military Items Belonging to Hezbollah Were Confiscated by the IDF
(IDF)
IDF forces confiscated at least 85,000 weapons and intelligence items, with additional findings still being uncovered along the Lebanon border. Tens of thousands of other pieces of weaponry were destroyed in Lebanon during the campaign but were not retrieved due to logistical limitations.
The display, open to foreign media, featured anti-aircraft guns mounted on jeeps, hundreds of advanced anti-tank missiles (including long-range models), modern AK-47s, heavy machine guns, sniper rifles from both Eastern and Western manufacturers, explosives of varying sizes, and ammunition boxes on a scale suitable for a small, advanced army. The exhibition also included chemical warfare masks intended for use by Hezbollah fighters in gas and smoke-filled conditions, as well as GoPro cameras meant to document the planned invasion of the Galilee.
According to IDF, the confiscated arsenal includes approximately:
- 6,840 RPG launchers, rockets, and anti-tank missile systems (including 340 Kornet missiles)
- 20 military vehicles
- 9,000 explosives and explosive devices
- 60,800 pieces of electronic equipment, communication devices, computers, and documents
- 2,250 artillery shells and high-trajectory missiles
- 2,700 light weapons
- 2,860 additional weapons and equipment
- 60 anti-aircraft missiles
- 300 observation tools and binoculars
The IDF reported that ground maneuvers were conducted in about 30 Shiite villages along the 130-kilometer border, stretching from Rosh Hanikra to Mount Dov. However, Hezbollah still retains hundreds of thousands of weapons, including heavy rockets, precision missiles, and drones, although the majority of its arsenal was destroyed during Operation "Northern Arrows," according to the IDF.
The IDF clarified that it did not enter approximately 50 additional Shiite villages used by Hezbollah, located on both sides of the Litani River. In recent weeks, Israeli forces in southern Lebanon have continued targeting Hezbollah operatives who violate the cease-fire agreement. Over the past month, more than 40 operatives have been eliminated, in addition to the approximately 3,000 Hezbollah fighters killed and 7,000 injured over the last year out of the group’s estimated 30,000 military personnel.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army has begun deploying along the border, and IDF has withdrawn to Israeli territory from those areas. Engineering operations to destroy Hezbollah bunkers and internal combat tunnels are ongoing. The IDF emphasized that the initial 60-day period of the agreement does not represent a “sacred deadline” and that the stages of the agreement will be implemented gradually under an “American umbrella.” This is the first time the U.S. is leading the enforcement mechanism, which is already operational as Israeli residents return to evacuated Galilee communities.
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“As part of the learning process about the achievements of IDF’s ground maneuvers, an extensive exhibition is currently showcasing the weapons seized by IDF forces," the IDF said in a statement. "These weapons were intended to be used by Hezbollah to harm Israeli civilians as part of their plan to ‘conquer the Galilee.’ Following the ground operations, these capabilities have been significantly disrupted and are now on display at the exhibition.”