Israel has long conducted strikes in Syria to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah, and recent weeks have seen alleged Israeli airstrikes against Syria's airports. Israel has also responded to rockets and shells fired at Golan Heights communities with airstrikes on military targets inside Syria. Both Wagner and Hezbollah fighters have a presence in Syria, where they were deployed to support Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad during the civil war.

Russia has condemned Israeli airstrikes on Syria as "unacceptable," warning of the risk of a wider regional conflict. It remains unclear if the SA-22 could be transported from Lebanon to Gaza to aid Hamas in combatting Israel's bombardments. The United States has positioned an aircraft carrier in the Eastern Mediterranean as a deterrent to Hezbollah joining the conflict.

The question remains whether the delivery of the SA-22 air defense system to Hezbollah could potentially escalate the situation further. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to make a speech on Friday, which may shed light on the group's intentions.