The IDF said Monday it struck a Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon over the weekend after the terror group’s operatives used an ambulance to transport weapons while disguised as paramedics.

The military said the cell was part of a systematic pattern in which Hezbollah exploits medical infrastructure to conceal terrorist activity, move fighters through combat zones, and shuttle weapons across the country for use against Israel and IDF troops.

“Under IDF directives and in accordance with international law, medical teams are afforded special protection, provided they do not engage in hostile acts outside their humanitarian duties,” the IDF said in a statement, calling the incident an example of Hezbollah’s “cynical and systematic use of medical infrastructure and civilians for military purposes.”

In a separate statement, the IDF outlined a broader pattern of abuse, saying Hezbollah has in recent incidents transported and concealed weapons inside ambulances, operated command-and-control infrastructure from within medical facilities, and moved fighters through active combat zones under the cover of medical protection.

The IDF added that Hezbollah’s operational playbook extends beyond medical infrastructure, with the group routinely embedding military activity inside schools, religious sites, and private residences.

Separately, Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon on Monday located and dismantled several Hezbollah weapons caches, including anti-tank missiles.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)