Hezbollah, the radical Shiite political party and terrorist militia, has been known as a “state within a state” in Lebanon since the fifteen-year Lebanese Civil War from 1975 through 1990. The over-riding conviction of the Iranian-backed terror proxy is its violent opposition to the existence of Israel and its rejection of Western values, norms, and influences of the Middle East.
On September 17, 2024, Israeli intelligence services planted explosives, near the batteries of thousands of Hezbollah’s pagers. In what is referred to as “Operation Exploding Pager”, these instruments exploded simultaneously throughout Lebanon and Syria. The following day, hundreds of walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah also exploded. On September 27, 2024, the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed by a strike by the Israeli air force over Dahiya, a suburb of Beirut and a Hezbollah strong hold.
Meanwhile however, Hezbollah has been retrenching itself in southern Lebanon. On Saturday, November 1st, the IDF struck a vehicle with four Hezbollah Radwan terrorists inside. According to the Jerusalem Post, the commander of these forces were attempting to re-establish the Hezbollah infrastructure and the transfer of weapons on the ground in southern Lebanon
At the same time, Iran has been developing a proxy network of Hezbollah bases in neighboring Iraq, aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-l Quds force, that can launch long-range missile and drone attacks toward Israel.
Western officials have recently said that “Hezbollah is rebuilding faster than the Lebanese government is dismantling them.”
About Our Speaker: Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi is the founder and president of Alma, a nonprofit and an independent research and education center specializing in Israel’s security challenges on its northern border. Sarit has briefed hundreds of groups and forums, ranging from US Senators, Congressmen/women, and politicians to senior journalists and visiting VIP groups in Israel and overseas. Sarit scripts numerous position papers and updates focusing on Lebanon, Syria, and Israel’s national security challenges. She served for 15 years in the Israeli Defense Forces, specializing in military intelligence, holds an M.A. in Middle East Studies from Ben-Gurion University, and is also a member of Forum Devora, promoting the equal representation of women in key decision-making positions in the fields of national security and foreign policy. Her unique achievements led her to be selected by the Jerusalem Post as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Jews of 2021. Sarit lives in the Western Galilee with her family.
