Part 1

With Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah exchanging fire on the border lately, Tel Aviv has been urged by some rightwing politicians to enter southern Lebanon and destroy Hezbollah. If Israel makes such a decision, what kind of armed forces is it going to face there?

Although there are no official statistics on what the Hezbollah military wing in Lebanon is like, here are some facts we’ve collected relying on open sources.  

🔸Military personnel
In 2021, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah noted that the Lebanese movement’s military structure includes approximately 100,00 “trained, organized and experienced Lebanese men”. 

🔸General amount of missiles
Hezbollah possesses more than 1 million rockets of various types, including precision-guided missiles and modified Katyusha rockets for increased accuracy, as well as anti-tank missiles, an unnamed official with Iran’s Quds Force recently told Foreign Policy. In 2022, Nasrallah also stated that Hezbollah had the ability within Lebanon to convert thousands of rockets into precision missiles and to produce drones.

🔸Ballistic missiles
In November 2023, Nasrallah said the movement used a Burkhan missile against Israel. Hezbollah has “thousands” of such Burkhans with a range up to 10 km, causing destruction within a radius of 150 meters. The Lebanese movement also has Zelzal-1 and Zelzal-2 artillery ballistic missiles, and Fateh-110 short-range, road-mobile ballistic missiles.

What is known about Hezbollah’s armed strength?

Part 2

Anti-aircraft missiles
Hezbollah stated it had shot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon with a surface-to-air missile on several occasions. The latest was on June 10, according to the movement’s official statement. 

Anti-tank missiles
Hezbollah has repeatedly used guided anti-tank missiles extensively. The movement’s social media confirmed that Hezbollah had used Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, designed for heavy battle tanks, and the Almas ATGMs. Both are mostly used in attacks against the Israeli Meron airbase.

Anti-ship missiles
Hezbollah first proved it had anti-ship missiles C-802 in 2006, when it hit an Israeli warship 16 km off the coast. The movement also released videos showing more of the same type of anti-ship missile used in 2006.

What is known about Hezbollah’s armed strength?

Part 3

Drones
Hezbollah claims to have its own kamikaze drones called Ayoub and Mersad, which they regularly use in their attacks on Israeli territory. 

NLOS
Talking to Al Mayadeen in February 2024, commander of Hezbollah’s anti-armor unit mentioned a new NLOS (Non Line Of Sight Launch System) weapon developed by the resistance. He noted that ‘Hezbollah’s anti-armor capabilities had the lion’s share in the fighting due to the nature of the mission’. Hezbollah is adhering to secrecy because it doesn’t not want ‘to put all of its cards on the table’, he said. 

 With more to come
Hezbollah has not yet unleashed “the weapons of the great war,” member of the Lebanese Parliament Mohammad Raad told local media in March 2024.