An alleged Hezbollah weapons shipment seized by Lebanese authorities last week has raised questions over the type of explosives the group is using to develop its arsenal, amid reports that it is preparing for another round of war with Israel.
Citing security and military sources, Lebanon’s French-language daily L’Orient-Le Jour reported that Hezbollah is working to rebuild its military capabilities, which have been significantly diminished by three years of conflict with Israel.
The sources said the group had used the relative calm of recent months to restore its military presence and capabilities in southern Lebanon, despite ongoing Israeli attacks and demolition of infrastructure.
Other sources close to Hezbollah have linked its reorganisation efforts to the recent interception of an explosives-laden vehicle. On 8 October, Lebanese police seized a truck carrying more than 500kg of military explosives, including TNT and C-4, along the central Dahr al-Baidar highway.
Two men who are in custody reportedly confessed to belonging to Hezbollah and said they were travelling from Baalbek in eastern Lebanon to Beirut’s southern suburbs, two traditional strongholds of the group that have been heavily targeted by Israeli strikes.
The Lebanese government has pledged to disarm all militias in the country, insisting that the state must have a monopoly on all arms and decisions on war. However, its efforts to rein in Hezbollah and disarm the group have so far failed.
According to sources cited by L’Orient-Le Jour, Hezbollah uses TNT and C-4 to develop fibre-optic-guided first-person-view (FPV) drones capable of carrying between four and six kilograms of explosives, up from around 2.5kg previously.
The sources also said the group had extended the fibre-optic cables connecting the drones to their operators from 20km to more than 30km, allowing them to target Israeli positions at greater distances.
The drones are reportedly being fitted with powerful explosives, as well as nails and steel ball bearings, to maximise casualties among Israeli forces. Hezbollah has already used such weapons against Israeli military drones in southern Lebanon, the report said.
Hezbollah has neither confirmed nor denied that the seized explosives belonged to the group. Hezbollah's political opponents have cited the presence of C-4 to accuse it of plotting political assassinations.
Moving further north of the Litani
Alongside efforts to replenish its reduced arsenal, Hezbollah has reportedly regrouped and maintained forces in areas near the so-called Yellow Line, Israel’s buffer zone in southern Lebanon, where dozens of towns and villages have been razed.
As Israel has expanded its occupation, particularly south of the Litani River, it has destroyed several forts that housed tunnels and underground complexes used by Hezbollah for decades.
Sources close to Hezbollah cited by L’Orient-Le Jour said the group had sought to strengthen its presence and capabilities north of the Litani around Nabatieh, Iqlim al-Tuffah and Rihan.
These areas are strategically important because of their elevated terrain and their proximity to routes connecting southern Lebanon with the Beqaa Valley, another Hezbollah stronghold. Israel is reportedly seeking to consolidate its control over the south and disrupt Hezbollah’s links with the Beqaa, parts of which are considered strongholds of the group.
The areas contain some of the south’s most strategically important hills, as well as sites housing central operations rooms that Hezbollah has reportedly been developing since before the 2006 war with Israel.
The report also said the underground facility known as Imad 4, which Hezbollah showcased in footage released in 2024, is believed to be located in the area.
Hezbollah is also reportedly preparing for further possible Israeli assassinations of its leaders and commanders. According to the sources, the group has drawn up plans to evacuate accommodation used by senior figures, particularly in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Much of Hezbollah’s senior command structure has been eliminated, while thousands of its fighters are believed to have been killed over the past three years.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began in October 2023 and was dramatically escalated by Israel into a full-scale war in September 2024. Fighting resumed on 2 March this year, alongside the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Reports have increasingly suggested that the wider confrontation with Iran could resume after the Israeli elections and US midterm elections, both expected within the next three weeks. Such an escalation could also reignite fighting on other regional fronts, including Lebanon.