In 2024 Israeli forces attacked Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon. They destroyed weapons caches and killed Hezbollah commanders. The question is how were they able launch thousands of rockets into Israel at the start of hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran?
The departure of Bashir al-Assad to the arms of Vladimir Putin marked the end of Hezbollah’s alliance in Syria. The new leader, former al-Qaeda operative Ahmed al-Sharaa, vowed to block weapons bound for Lebanon to make their way through Syria. He hasn’t been successful as pointed out in al-Estiklal in Sep of 2025;
Syrian Colonel Ziad Haj Obeid told Al-Estiklal that Iran and its allied former militias continue to use unconventional smuggling operations to deliver weapons to Lebanon, offering financial incentives to commercial vehicle owners to transport arms to border points as an initial stage. al-Estiklal
Hezbollah is not popular in Syria. During the Syrian Civil War Hezbollah forces assisted al-Assad. They murdered and raped their way through Syrian villages, emptying some and turning them into private bases/resorts with captured Syrian girls. Most of their battles were fought against the Free Syrian Army.
Attacks on Alawites, Druze and Christian Syrians have continued after the fall of Assad. Ahmed al-Sharaa has blamed these attacks on militant groups outside of his control. Syrians have contested this claim saying the militias are loyal to al-Sharaa (Reuters). Syrian forces have also attacked Syrian Kurds and caused the escape of thousands of ISIS fighters the Kurds held in detention centers (4dforum). Donald Trump told the Kurds not to fight against the Syrian army.
A source from western Syria tells Israel Hayom that al-Sharaa’s men – many of them mercenaries – are selling weapons to Hezbollah on the black market, while the government plays both sides. Israel Hayom
Recently an attack on an Alawite community was blamed on Hezbollah by al-Sharaa’s government. Hezbollah predictably has denied responsibility (The New Arab). Considering Hezbollah’s unpopularity, and considering allegations the Syrian government is allowing weapons to flow to Hezbollah; could this accusation be al-Sharaa’s way of playing it off?
- Active Routes Despite Assad’s Fall: How Weapons Flow from Syria to Lebanon al-Estiklal
- The Quiet Return of Hezbollah’s Smuggling Network in Syria Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
- Hezbollah re-arms… but how? NPR
- How war in Syria changed the image of Hezbollah Middle East Eye
- Don’t Forget, or Deny, Hezbollah’s Brutal Crimes The Washington Institute
- Syrian forces massacred 1,500 Alawites. The chain of command led to Damascus. Reuters
- First The Alawites, Now The Druze — Post-Assad Syria Is Doomed If It Can’t Protect Religious Minorities WorldCrunch
- The Spiritual Leader of the Syrian Druze, Hikmat Al-Hijri, calls on Trump, Netanyahu, Bin Salman and Abdullah II to save them from the Syrian Government MEMRI
- Hezbollah rearming through deals with Damascus Israel Hayom
- Syria: Hezbollah denies link to cell accused of planning Damascus attack The New Arab