Senior IDF brass heads to Russia to update Moscow on Hezbollah

Israeli brass are traveling to Moscow to brief Russian military officials on the Hezbollah terror tunnels the IDF discovered along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

By Associated Press and World Israel News Staff

Senior Israeli military officers are flying to Moscow to update their Russian counterparts about an operation launched last week to “expose and thwart” Hezbollah tunnels designed to launch attacks within Israel’s borders.

The Israeli military issued a statement Monday saying the officers would depart Tuesday “to provide an update regarding Operation Northern Shield and other operational issues.”

Israel has discovered at least two tunnels since launching the operation last week that were built by Hezbollah to carry out attacks against Israel.

Russia and Israel have maintained a hotline to coordinate operations and prevent any collisions between warplanes over neighboring Syria.

Israel frequently carries out airstrikes against Iran and its allies in Syria to prevent sophisticated weaponry from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hezbollah is an Islamic terror group that receives the bulk of its support from Tehran, but also maintains a vast international criminal network that traffics in illegal narcotics and money laundering.

While the United Nations resolution that helped end the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war specifically prohibits Lebanon from permitting the terror group to arm itself, Hezbollah has amassed a massive arsenal of missiles in the intervening years and operates within Lebanon’s government in an official capacity.

Hezbollah’s stated mission is to eliminate Israel. It has been defeated in every armed conflict with the Jewish state to date.