What Makes Hezbollah Such a Threat to Israel?
On Friday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened to turn the Israel-Hamas war into a larger conflict.
In his first major speech since Hamas’ October 7 attack, Nasrallah said Israel was left in a “weakened” position and praised the Gaza-based terror group for its assault. Nasrallah then claimed that Hezbollah has the ability to enter the conflict at any point, and he added that it is in Lebanon’s “national interest” to respond. These flagrant remarks indicate an uptick in tensions between the Lebanon-based group and Israel.
The U.S. Tries to Deter Hezbollah
Israeli and American officials are concerned that the war could expand into a wider regional conflict. The White House has already deployed two carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. Nasrallah recognized the deterrence effort, but boasted that “Israel is weaker than a spider web. Your Navy ships in the Mediterranean don’t scare us and never did.” Considering Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanese politics and society, Nasrallah’s threats are concerning. However, Beirut is suffering from an acute economic crisis and it is unclear if there is popular support for engaging in a war with the Jewish state.
Since Hezbollah formed with Iran’s backing in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War, Tehran’s interference in the country has only grown. Today, Nasrallah reportedly claims that over 100,000 militants are aligned with Hezbollah (“The Party of God”), which is more than double the number who fight for Hamas. Like other Iran-linked proxy groups in the region, Hezbollah receives weapons, training, funding, and other assistance from the Iranian regime. Lebanon has not been at war since 2006, giving Hezbollah many years to improve its arsenal of weapons.
How Many Rockets Does Hezbollah Have?
Israeli officials estimate that Hezbollah possesses roughly 150,000 rockets. Unlike Hamas’ stockpiles of largely short-range projectiles, Hezbollah has the capability to launch deeper into Israeli territory. The bulk of the terror group’s weapons are unguided rockets, including Iranian models such as the Raad, Zilzal and Fajr. But over the last 17 years, Hezbollah has upgraded these rockets with guidance systems to make them precision missiles.
The terror group’s other projectiles are described by Newsweek: “The longest-range missile, the Fateh-110, can travel more than 186 miles, according to Haaretz. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Hezbollah also may have Scud missiles, which have twice the range. Rockets specifically designed to take out aircraft, tanks and ships are additional components of the arsenal, while the group has retrofitted some unguided weapons with precision navigation systems.”
On Thursday, Hezbollah said it had taken out an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon with a surface-to-air missile. This newer capability is indicative of the terror group’s expanding arsenal. In addition to SAMs, Hezbollah possesses air defense systems, combat drones, and anti-ship cruise missiles that could allow the group to launch a major coastal blockade of Israel if a greater war erupts.
Although flare-ups have marked the Israeli-Lebanese border region since Oct. 7, it is not certain the Iran-backed group will launch a war. If Hezbollah did engage further, Tehran could direct its other regional proxies to join the terror group’s efforts to destroy Israel.
Maya Carlin is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
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