Israel exposes how Hezbollah uses Lebanese civilians as human shields, homes to store weapons (WATCH)

In a video statement released Tuesday, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari disclosed that Hezbollah militants are using civilian homes in southern Lebanon as storage facilities for weapons, while also employing Lebanese civilians as human shields to protect their military operations.

Rear Admiral Hagari emphasized that the IDF has identified Hezbollah’s strategy of placing military assets in residential areas, a tactic that puts civilians at significant risk. "This is part of Hezbollah's strategy of using civilians as human shields for its terrorist activities," Hagari said. "Today, we exposed how they store deadly weapons in civilian homes, endangering innocent lives."

In efforts to reduce civilian casualties, Hagari explained that the IDF issued multiple warnings to residents in areas of southern Lebanon, urging them to evacuate as Hezbollah had established a heavy military presence within their villages. According to the IDF, these warnings were intended to protect civilians from the escalating military activity. However, Hezbollah actively countered these efforts, confining civilians to their homes and preventing them from fleeing the conflict zone.

The IDF's video also featured images of Hezbollah's military stockpiles hidden inside residential homes, with one image showing a long-range rocket mounted on a hydraulic system stored within a civilian house. The rocket was reportedly aimed at Israeli civilian areas, ready for immediate launch.

"This rocket is just one of 1,300 targets, including long-range cruise missiles, heavy-weight rockets, and UAVs, that we struck today in Lebanon," the IDF’s statement continued. "These weapons were intended to inflict significant damage across Israel."

The IDF highlighted the scope of Hezbollah's military infrastructure embedded in civilian areas, revealing footage of long-range rockets concealed inside attics of homes in southern Lebanese villages. The disclosure has heightened international concerns about Hezbollah’s use of residential neighborhoods to protect their military assets, a tactic that places civilian lives at risk and escalates the potential for mass casualties in any future confrontations.

The revelations come amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides exchanging hostilities along the Lebanese border. The IDF’s airstrikes targeted Hezbollah’s military assets in southern Lebanon, aiming to disrupt the militant group’s capacity to launch attacks on Israeli territory.

International observers have expressed concern over the escalating violence and the implications of Hezbollah's tactics on regional stability. The use of human shields by militant groups like Hezbollah not only endangers civilian populations but also complicates military operations aimed at eliminating terror threats.

• Israel-Palestine war
• Hezbollah
• Lebanon
• Israel