Israel Displays Captured Arsenal From Hamas, Hezbollah With Weapons Sourced Globally

The Israel Defense Forces granted rare access to its Tzrifin Base storage facility, where thousands of weapons seized from Hamas and Hezbollah are held under guard. The confiscated arsenal includes rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, mortars and anti-tank launchers accumulated since the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent conflicts across multiple fronts.

The weapons cache demonstrates supply lines originating from Iran, Russia and China, alongside equipment manufactured domestically in Lebanon and Gaza. Among the items displayed was a Nazi-era German MG-34 machine gun bearing Wehrmacht insignia, discovered at a Hezbollah compound in Lebanon. Lt. Col. Idan Sharon-Kettler, commander of the IDF’s Captured Equipment Evacuation Unit, indicated the historical weapon likely served propaganda purposes for the Iranian-backed terrorist organization.

A second Nazi-era rifle, the MP 44, was also recovered from Hezbollah during operations. Sharon-Kettler explained that terror groups leverage dual-use technology to convert civilian vehicles into military platforms, noting that motorcycles seized on October 7 had been employed in hostage operations.

The storage facility contains hundreds of mortars, dozens of Iranian-produced cannons positioned in southern Lebanese villages, and various Russian-manufactured firearms including AK-47 variants and newer AK-103 and AK-104 models. Hezbollah also possessed sophisticated Austrian Steyr sniper rifles and Iranian replicas of the design, according to the weapons expert.

Additional captures include all-terrain vehicles modified to transport six anti-tank rockets, decay drones designed to create diversions, submachine guns from Chinese and Russian manufacturers, and specialized equipment including uniforms produced in Syria and China. Sharon-Kettler stated the confiscated material underscores the necessity of continued operations to prevent military buildup targeting Israeli civilians.

Diplomatic efforts to enforce disarmament remain ongoing following the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. State Department officials indicated talks scheduled for early September in Rome will address staged IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon contingent on Lebanese government efforts to disarm Hezbollah, though officials acknowledged Hezbollah’s efforts to obstruct the process.