ISRAELI MILITARY CLAIMS TO HAVE FOUND ‘LARGE TROVES’ OF RUSSIAN MADE WEAPONS IN HEZBOLLAH POSSESSION

Tue 19 November 2024:

The IDF found Russian-made weapons in Hezbollah stores in South Lebanon, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday. Among the weapons made in Russia were anti-tank missiles sent in recent years to Lebanon via Syria which had been receiving Russian weapons for years.

Many of the weapons were originally owned by the Syrian military, which has been supplied by Russia for years, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Syrian security officials and an Arab official.

Hezbollah’s cache of modern, sophisticated weaponry far exceeded prior military estimates in both quantity and capability, the report said, bolstering the group’s ability to strike and kill Israeli soldiers.

The route through Syria

Russia’s involvement in Syria intensified after the 2011 civil war outbreak, with Russian forces intervening to support President Bashar al-Assad. By 2015, Russians were fighting alongside Hezbollah forces in Syria, fostering closer ties that facilitated Hezbollah’s access to Russian weapons stockpiles, particularly anti-tank, anti-aircraft, and anti-ship missiles, according to Syrian security officials and the Arab official who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.

At Israel’s National Munition Disassembly Lab, where seized materials from southern Lebanon undergo examination, an Israeli major who heads the facility reported that 60% to 70% of weapons captured in the initial phase of Israel’s campaign were Russian-made. These included various Russian-guided anti-tank missile systems such as Metis, Konkurs, Fagots, and Saggers, found within just over half a mile of the Lebanese border both above and below ground in Hezbollah bunkers.

Markings on some weapons appeared to confirm their route from Russia through Syria to Hezbollah. One rocket case discovered in southern Lebanon bore Russian-language labeling indicating shipment from Russia to Syria’s Ministry of Defense, though not all weapons carried such identifying marks.

Hezbollah weapons, including Russian-made equipment, recovered by the IDF from Lebanon in recent months, are shown on display at the IDF Northern Command in Safed, October 1, 2024 (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

The Russian and Syrian governments didn’t answer a request for comment, while the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the report.

Israel has tried to maintain positive relations with Moscow due to Russia’s military presence in Syria.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar emphasized Russia’s influence over the group, expressing hope for Moscow’s assistance in enforcing any agreement to disarm Hezbollah by preventing weapons transfers from Syria to Lebanon.

“The principle that Hezbollah won’t be able to arm again or get new weapons systems or take them into Lebanon and to renew the threat to the extent it was before the war is vital to the success of any arrangement in Lebanon,” he said.

Transfer to Ukraine

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel has proposed giving any Russian-made weapons seized by the IDF in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, or the West Bank to Ukraine.

The bill, which likely has little chance of passing, stipulates that “Russian-manufactured weaponry seized in Lebanon or the Palestinian Authority territories, which the defense minister determines is not required for Israel’s defense needs, will be transferred to the Government of Ukraine to strengthen its military capabilities in combating forces that threaten its sovereignty.”

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Transferring Russian-made military equipment “not only neutralizes the risk posed by such weaponry to Israel but also contributes to Ukraine’s rightful struggle to defend its independence and sovereignty,” its explanatory notes state — touting its potential impact in “undermining Russian interests in Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority Territories, showcasing an effective approach to neutralizing regional threats and contributing to global security.”

Russian 9M113 Konkurs anti-tank missiles, supplied by Moscow to Syria, are found by troops of the IDF’s 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade in southern Lebanon, in a handout image published October 24, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

“Israel needs to be more assertive and defend its interests,” Arkady Mil-Man, a former Israeli ambassador to Russia who now serves as a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, said. “We must explain and convey to the Russians that we will no longer stand any assistance to Hezbollah and Iran that could hurt Israelis.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22