The IDF said Monday it struck a Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon over the weekend that was operating an ambulance while posing as paramedics.
The terrorists, the military claimed, systematically used ambulances to transfer weapons across the country, in order to launch attacks against Israel and IDF soldiers.
"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 and subject to the conditions established under the law," the IDF stated, adding that the incident highlighted Hezbollah's "cynical and systematic use of medical infrastructure and civilians for military purposes."
Hezbollah habitually uses medical infrastructure to conceal terrorism
Another statement from the IDF described Hezbollah as routinely making use of medical infrastructure, equipment, and personnel in order to conceal its terrorist activity.
"In several recent incidents, Hezbollah has transported and hidden weapons using ambulances in several locations, operated command and control infrastructures from medical facilities, and transported terrorists in the combat zone while violating the special protection afforded to them and deliberately endangering civilian populations," the IDF said.
The military further cautioned that Hezbollah's terrorism playbook entailed concealing its activities behind a variety of civilian infrastructure, including schools, religious sites, and residences.
IDF discovers Hezbollah weapon caches, anti-tank missiles
The IDF also announced that it had located several caches of weapons belonging to Hezbollah, as well as anti-tank missiles, in southern Lebanon on Monday.
The weapons and missiles were all dismantled by the soldiers immediately after being discovered.