The Israeli military operations that have been ongoing for about a week against Hezbollah’s focal points in southern Lebanon raise questions about the military and logistical capabilities that the Lebanese armed group still possesses, especially after the killing of a number of its leaders, led by Hassan Nasrallah.
The dramatic escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, which began on Monday, culminated in a blow to Hezbollah’s interests in Lebanon, its leadership, and even its military capabilities, as the Israeli Air Force destroyed thousands of missile launchers, according to the “Website” website.Israel HayomHezbollah responded by firing about 300 missiles towards Israel.
An Israeli government spokesman told reporters last month that Hezbollah had “fired 6,800 rockets since the start of the cross-border escalation.”
A researcher at the Control Risks Center, Dina Araqji, said in an interview with Agence France-Presse that in 2006, the party had approximately “15,000 missiles,” a number that had “increased at least 10 times.”
Hezbollah’s capabilities
The Israeli army website says that Hezbollah, under the leadership of Hassan Nasrallah, boasts a military force of between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters, in addition to tens of thousands in reserve.
The “Radwan” unit is considered the most prominent in Hezbollah’s ranks, and is particularly known for its combat efficiency and strategic importance in the conflicts that the region has witnessed.
Israel killed its senior leaders.. What is Hezbollah’s “Radwan Unit”?
On Friday, the Israeli army targeted leaders of the Radwan Unit of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, killing a number of its members, led by the acting head of the unit, Ibrahim Aqeel.
The Israeli army website says that this unit is “charged with incursions into Israel and planning to seize Israeli lands and communities.”
The unit includes several thousand highly trained personnel, some of whom have operational experience from the Syrian civil war.
In addition, Hezbollah’s weapons capabilities are notable, and more closely resemble the army of a medium-sized country.
The party possesses more than 150,000 rockets and missiles, including the Fajr-5 and Zelzal-2 missiles made in Iran.
These weapons highlight the threat that Hezbollah poses to Israel’s security, according to the same site, as its arsenal is capable of reaching deep into Israeli territory.
Hezbollah has become the most powerful armed militia in the world.
A rough estimate of Hezbollah’s weapons arsenal
– 400 long-range missiles and missiles (180-700 km)
– Hundreds of precision-guided missiles (70-250 km)
– 4,800 medium-range missiles (40-180 km)
– 65,000 short-range missiles (20-40 km)
– 140,000 mortars
Even before the recent escalation, which saw Israel destroy a large amount of Hezbollah’s weapons, the latter had significant weapons capabilities.
The party has already lost more than 500 militants, including leaders, in border confrontations with Israel since October, according to Hezbollah data and network statistics.CNN“In the report published on Monday.
According to a detailed report prepared by the American network, it was found that the Iranian-backed Lebanese group has great military capabilities that exceed even some regular armies.
The American channel commented on the information it obtained by saying, “Hezbollah is probably the most heavily armed non-governmental armed group in the world, as it possesses a more advanced and destructive arsenal than the Palestinian Hamas movement.”
During about 11 months of escalation with Israel, Hezbollah successively revealed growing military capabilities, the latest of which was a fortified underground facility and missiles, in the first explicit announcement by the Tehran-backed party.
The group’s arsenal includes guided and unguided missiles, anti-tank artillery, ballistic and anti-ship missiles, as well as drones loaded with explosives, allowing it to reach deep into Israeli territory.
According to the CIA’s World Factbook, the Iran-backed group has up to 150,000 missiles and missiles.
Hezbollah, which Iran supplies with money and weapons, has opened a front against Israel from southern Lebanon since October 8, “in support” of Gaza and “in support” of its resistance, a day after the outbreak of war in the Palestinian Strip, following an unprecedented Hamas attack in southern Israel.
Since then, the party’s operations have escalated in intensity, coinciding with its development of new offensive plans.
Hezbollah’s arsenal.. What weapons does the Lebanese militia possess?
On Sunday, Lebanese Hezbollah launched an attack on various sites in Israel in response to the killing of the group’s leader, Fouad Shukr, in the southern suburbs of Lebanon last month, which again raises questions about the capabilities of the group close to Iran regarding missiles, drones, and other weapons.
The party has published video clips on many occasions, most notably the clip it published last August, with sound and light effects, showing a fortified military facility in which members in military uniform and vehicles loaded with missiles move within huge, wide, illuminated tunnels, in response to statements by its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, in which he threatened Israel.
Considerable loss
During the past 11 months, Hezbollah launched several missile attacks on Israel, while the latter targeted several launch sites, especially during the past week.
According to Reuters, Tehran was preparing to provide renewed military support to Hezbollah after the losses it faced as a result of the continuous Israeli strikes.
The agency quoted a senior source in Syrian military intelligence as saying that Hezbollah needs certain warheads and missiles, in addition to drones and missile parts, to replace those destroyed by Israeli strikes in various parts of Lebanon last week.
In the past, Iranian supplies reached Hezbollah by air and sea.
A source in the Lebanese Ministry of Public Works and Transport told Reuters that the ministry asked an Iranian plane not to enter Lebanese airspace on Saturday, after Israel warned air traffic controllers at Beirut airport that it would use “force” if the plane landed.
