Lebanonupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 3 June 2022Hezbollah Rebuilds Defensive Capabilities, Lebanese Security Sources Say
3 Israeli2 West AsianPhoto: مهاالغد, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Iran-funded Hezbollah rebuilding military capabilities over past three months, including drones, per Lebanese security sources. Some Lebanese security officials say drive is defensive, not offensive, arguing claims exaggerated.
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Defensive posture, disputed claims
Lebanese security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah is rebuilding defensive, not offensive, capabilities, and one senior source said the speculation is deliberately exaggerated. The security source said Hezbollah’s current activities are strictly limited to fortifying its remaining defensive outposts, which would allow it to hold its ground if Israel expands its security buffer by striking the highlands between Iqlim al-Tuffah and Jabal al-Rihan.
A second Asharq Al-Awsat-linked source also stressed that Hezbollah is in a position of self-defense and has no intention of entering a military confrontation with Israel, while noting the party has not fully restored its former military capabilities. The same Asharq Al-Awsat-linked source said Hezbollah’s leadership errs in its calculations if it believes it can buy time to restore and qualify its military capabilities, and it added that the expected outcomes of the Israeli Knesset elections will not change the political and military scene in Lebanon generally and in the south in particular.
Funding, drones, and losses
Lebanese security personnel briefed on Hezbollah’s activities told Reuters that Hezbollah spent the past three months preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities with Israel after receiving an infusion of cash from Iran. The Reuters report cited by The Times of Israel said Hezbollah received tens of millions of dollars from Iran to boost its military capabilities, in addition to around $200 million to aid displaced families in its Shiite heartlands.
The Times of Israel said Hezbollah focused on procuring explosives and producing drones that can be flown into Israeli positions, while Israeli forces control its heartland of villages in southern Lebanon and IDF troops dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure. The Reuters report also said Hezbollah’s media office claimed Israel’s presence on Lebanese territory gave it a legitimate right to any resistance, while it rejected the suggestion that its command-and-control systems had broken down.
What comes next in Lebanon
Lebanese security sources told Reuters that Hezbollah has not yet managed to fully prepare its stockpiles or fighting force, and the group is still restocking after acknowledging this month that explosives seized by Lebanese authorities belonged to it and were intended for use against Israel. The Times of Israel said a Hezbollah official and a Lebanese security source told Reuters the explosives were specifically for its explosive drones, while the IDF declined to comment on the reported preparations.
Naharnet reported that a senior Lebanese security source said Hezbollah lacks the political backing of Speaker Nabih Berri and the support of the wider Shiite community for a reckless military venture. The Asharq Al-Awsat-linked source said the decisive word on the ground remains unchanged and will not alter Tel Aviv’s reality until it yields concessions to create a breakthrough allowing the implementation of the “framework agreement” to exit the stalemate unless it is first and finally linked to disarming Hezbollah.