The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed a series of airstrikes in Syria on Monday, specifically targeting Hezbollah’s intelligence infrastructure and assets. According to IDF statements, the strikes, carried out by Israel Air Force jets, aimed at Hezbollah-controlled weapon storage facilities in the Al Qusayr area near the Syrian-Lebanese border.
Reports indicate that the airstrikes targeted sites around Sayyidah Zaynab, south of Damascus, a zone controlled by pro-Iranian militias and considered an important center for Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps operatives. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitoring group, stated that two Hezbollah members were killed in these strikes. Syrian state media, however, claimed that the airstrikes only caused material damage.
The IDF further clarified that Hezbollah’s intelligence division in Syria has been increasingly active in establishing weapon depots and logistical networks. Hezbollah, with support from the Syrian government, has been reportedly expanding its munitions and intelligence units across Syria, a strategy Israel considers a direct threat to its national security.
In addition to the Syrian strikes, the IDF also reported heightened military activity along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Dozens of rockets were fired into Israel from southern Lebanon on Monday. Several drones launched from Lebanon—and at least one from Iraq—were intercepted by Israeli defense systems.
Previous targeted strikes carried out by Israel have eliminated key figures within Hezbollah’s command structure, including senior intelligence officials. In an airstrike on October 4 in Beirut, Mahmoud Muhammad Shahin, the head of Hezbollah’s Syrian intelligence operations, was reportedly killed along with Hussein Ali Hazima, Hezbollah’s intelligence division chief. Another key Hezbollah figure, Hashem Safieddine—widely considered an heir-apparent to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah—was also reportedly killed in September.
