How strong is Hezbollah in the fight against Israel?

Hezbollah – a Shiite Muslim political party and armed group in Lebanon, is one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state groups with links to Iran.

Hezbollah fighters. Photo: EPA

According to BBC and Sky News, the airstrikes between Israel and Hezbollah on the morning of August 25 appeared to be a significant escalation. The Israeli military said that about 100 missiles had been launched against Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon. Hezbollah then fired about 300 rockets and missiles into northern Israel.

If the 100 figure is accurate, it would be the largest Israeli attack on Lebanon since the full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah broke out in 2006. The Israeli airstrikes began at around 4:30 a.m. local time and Hezbollah launched a large-scale attack on Israel half an hour later.

Across the Middle East, many fear that this latest escalation could once again lead to all-out war.

How was Hezbollah founded?

Hezbollah was founded in 1982 in the midst of the Lebanese civil war, which lasted 15 years from 1975 to 1990. The group grew out of Iran’s efforts to spread the 1979 Islamic revolution across the region and was created to fight Israeli forces after Israel invaded Lebanon and occupied parts of the capital Beirut in 1982.

Hezbollah, which means “party of God”, has been blamed for frequent attacks on foreign targets, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks that killed 241 people.

Considered a proxy force of Iran, Hezbollah has been equipped and trained by Tehran to transform from a mysterious faction into a highly influential armed group in Lebanon.

The United States and several Western governments consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. In Lebanon, members of the group are part of the government and have dozens of members of parliament.

How strong is Hezbollah?

As one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state groups, Hezbollah’s strength lies in its vast arsenal. According to some experts, the group has more than 150,000 missiles and rockets as well as drones.

Hezbollah is believed to possess Iranian-made Raad, Fajr and Zilzal missiles as well as Russian Katyusha missiles. The group also possesses advanced anti-tank missiles such as Kornet and Toophan. These missiles proved effective against Israeli tanks in the 2006 war.

The US estimates that in recent years, Hezbollah has received hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons and money from Iran each year.

In 2021, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the group had 100,000 fighters.

By 2022, the Institute for Strategic Studies estimates Hezbollah could have 20,000 active fighters. The group’s fighters are highly combat-experienced, having fought in Syria in support of President Bashar al Assad.