Israel Unveils Hezbollah’s Covert Explosives Network Amid Cross‑Border Strikes

Israel carried out retaliatory air strikes on what it identified as Hezbollah command centers in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday, following earlier rocket fire from the militant group into northern Israel. Hezbollah has not yet asserted responsibility for the attacks.

The heightened tension emerged days after the United States, Israel, and Lebanon unveiled a conditional ceasefire proposal that obliges Hezbollah to cease fire and withdraw from southern Lebanon. This development follows the release of IDF footage purportedly showing soldiers dismantling a Hezbollah explosives site, where an external analyst suggested the presence of components matching anti‑personnel shrapnel devices intended to inflict casualties on foot‑soldiers.

These strikes represent a significant escalation along the Israel‑Lebanon border, occurring shortly after the tripartite ceasefire agreement was announced, which calls for Hezbollah to suspend hostilities and retreat from several areas in southern Lebanon.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the airstrikes constitute a direct response to a violation of Israeli territory by Hezbollah earlier that day.

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An explosion erupts from a building after an Israeli strike in central Beirut, Lebanon, on March 18, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)

In parallel, footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) depicted troops uncovering and neutralising a concealed, booby‑trapped explosives cache.

The multi‑purpose assembly hub appeared to house materials suitable for constructing improvised shrapnel devices and propane‑based explosives, enabling a dispersed, lethal capability.

Nick Reese, an adjunct professor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs and former U.S. national security adviser, told Fox News Digital that the seized weapons cache indicates a deliberate focus on causing personnel casualties, potentially targeting both military and civilian individuals.

“Given the prevailing circumstances, they likely aimed at military personnel,” Reese remarked. “Shrapnel devices are designed to injure and kill individuals on foot.”

“The footage alternates between the IDF entering the premises and revealing its contents,” Reese added. “At that point, they likely neutralised any booby traps. Standard protocol involves inspecting and disabling such traps before entry and prior to filming.”

“It is possible that the devices could employ shrapnel mechanisms,” he noted, “however, the video does not display a concealed device; it appears to be an exposed shrapnel bomb, suggesting it may not be a booby trap unless it was disarmed off‑camera.”

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Hezbollah worked to construct facilities beneath private residential buildings and houses. (Benoît Durand / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)

Among the items recovered during the raid was a container containing nails and other sharp objects, which Reese identified as clear indicators of anti‑personnel targeting.

“This video shows what appears to be a container filled with nails and other sharp implements,” Reese noted. “Such items are likely intended for constructing shrapnel bombs designed to kill, wound, and maim targets.”

“These devices are both effective and instill significant fear within the population, which appears to have been the intended effect,” Reese continued. “Although not highly sophisticated, their use demonstrates a focus on human targets rather than mere hardware or infrastructure.”

“Manufacturing shrapnel bombs is also inexpensive, easily concealed, and highly effective against personnel, suggesting they would have been widely employed.”

“The footage displays a range of materials that could be fashioned into explosives, ranging from improvised shrapnel to what appears to be a propane tank,” Reese explained.

“These varied components would serve distinct purposes, indicating that the site functioned as a central, multi‑purpose explosives‑manufacturing facility.”

“Propane tanks would be employed against larger targets such as armored vehicles or structures, whereas shrapnel would be directed at infantry or civilian areas,” Reese said.

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The dismantling of the facility follows a high‑profile precision strike that eliminated the leadership overseeing these covert networks.

The IDF announced on Friday that an airstrike in Lebanon killed Hezbollah’s chief explosives engineer, Abed Harb, commander of the group’s engineering unit, after he attempted to harm Israeli soldiers.

The military described Harb as a veteran commander implicated in numerous attacks against IDF personnel over several decades.

Reese noted that over a 20‑year career, Harb’s proficiency likely stemmed from a blend of internal and external training, enriched by Iran’s sustained financial and operational support to Hezbollah and its extensive combat experience in multiple conflicts.

Harb was targeted as part of an effort to disrupt Hezbollah’s war‑making infrastructure and to curb its capacity to plan and execute large‑scale bombings against both the IDF and civilian populations.

“The loss of Abed Harb represents not merely a loss of leadership but also a depletion of institutional knowledge,” Reese added.

“His two decades of battlefield experience were vital to Hezbollah not only because of his bomb‑making expertise but also because of his deep understanding of the IDF, internal dynamics within Hezbollah, and the rank structure,” Reese explained.

“As a Hezbollah member since 2006, Harb likely possessed considerable expertise in constructing and concealing explosives over a 20‑year career, a loss that will significantly impair the group’s operational capabilities and infrastructure,” Reese said.

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