Joint Israeli forces expose dangerous Syria-to-Israel weapons pipeline meant to arm northern criminal networks.
In a sweeping month-long operation, the Lahav 433 Unit, Shin Bet, and the IDF uncovered a highly dangerous arms-smuggling network operating between Syria and Israel — a ring that included Israeli Arab collaborators, Syrian operatives, and shockingly, five IDF soldiers who betrayed their uniforms to facilitate the smuggling.
The joint intelligence probe revealed that the group was smuggling a variety of advanced weapons across the border in the Hader area of the Golan Heights, exploiting the chaos and lawlessness on the Syrian side and leveraging insider access on the Israeli side.
Among those arrested were several residents of northern Israel, five active-duty and reserve soldiers, and multiple Syrian nationals. The investigation found that the compromised soldiers used their ability to legally cross border zones to transport weapons, later delivering them to Arab criminal elements in the north.
One of the central suspects is Iyad Halabi, 45, from Yarka, a non-commissioned officer serving in the northern sector. Authorities believe he played a key logistical role in the cross-border pipeline.
Just days before the arrests, the ring attempted to smuggle a massive, unusually large shipment of lethal weaponry, including:
- Explosives
- RPG missiles
- Assault rifles
- Large quantities of ammunition
The sheer scope of the attempted delivery demonstrates the ring’s ambition to massively arm criminal and potentially terror-affiliated groups inside Israel.
In a separate IDF night operation in southern Syria last month, Israeli forces located dozens of weapons and detained three Syrian suspects, who are currently under Shin Bet and police interrogation.
Investigators determined that the weapons were intended for Rami Abu Shah, 49, of Shefar’am, who maintained ongoing communications with Rawad Al-Basr, a 25-year-old Syrian allegedly involved in large-scale weapons trafficking. Authorities believe Abu Shah and Al-Basr were central nodes connecting Syrian terror suppliers to Israeli criminal consumers.
The investigation is now entering its final phase, and on Thursday, the Prosecutor’s Office is expected to file severe indictments against every suspect involved — including the soldiers, Arab smugglers, and Syrian operatives.
Israel’s security services say the operation prevented a devastating flow of Syrian weapons into Israeli civilian centers and exposed yet another example of regional terror networks exploiting Arab collaborators inside the country.
