Israel uncovers massive Hezbollah explosives cache near Lebanon border village

Israeli forces on Tuesday uncovered a stockpile of explosives allegedly planted by Hezbollah in the northern village of Ghajar, along the Israel-Lebanon border, the military said.

The cache, which included hundreds of kilograms of explosives, was discovered thanks to the vigilance of the village’s local security officer.

Israeli forces uncover Hezbollah explosives cache near Lebanon border village of Ghajar

(Photo: from social media)

According to the IDF, the material was found in a concealed underground storage site in the northern part of Ghajar, near the border with Lebanon. Military engineers have been operating at the site since morning to safely expose and neutralize the explosives, which were located in a civilian area.

An initial investigation suggests the explosives were possibly intended for use in a thwarted Hezbollah operation to kidnap Israeli soldiers in November 2005. Although the security establishment cannot confirm a direct link to that incident, officials believe the underground structure was constructed prior to the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when the area was still under Lebanese control.

Military sources said the explosive cache may have been rigged as a large-scale pipe bomb, designed to target IDF patrols along the border fence. “This was old infrastructure buried before the Second Lebanon War,” the IDF said in a statement. “During civilian construction work in northern Ghajar, a pit containing explosive material was discovered in the border area. IDF forces cleared the site and secured the material.”

Israeli forces uncover Hezbollah explosives cache near Lebanon border village of Ghajar

(Photo: from social media)

Israeli forces uncover Hezbollah explosives cache near Lebanon border village of Ghajar

(Photo: from social media)

The discovery triggered security alerts in nearby towns, including Kiryat Shmona, where residents were warned about upcoming loud explosions as part of a controlled detonation. “There is no security incident. The explosions are from IDF operations to destroy the explosives,” the municipality announced.

Ghajar is a unique Alawite village that straddles the Israeli-Lebanese border. Originally under Syrian control, the village was partially captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and later partially annexed under Israel’s 1981 Golan Heights Law. In 2000, the United Nations determined that the northern section of Ghajar lies within Lebanese territory, while the southern part remains under Israeli control. The village is home to about 3,000 residents.

In the 2005 incident, Hezbollah terrorists attempted to kidnap Israeli soldiers near Ghajar. The attempt was foiled when Israeli paratroopers ambushed the Hezbollah terrorists, killing four of them. The operation marked a sharp escalation in cross-border tensions in the lead-up to the 2006 war.