Analysis | Four Key Features of Hezbollah
In his message on the occasion of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s martyrdom, Imam Khamenei referred to him as the leader of the resistance in the region and stated that the resistance front’s victory was achieved under Hezbollah’s leadership.
This raises a question: What characteristics does Hezbollah possess that enable it to achieve victory against Israel despite being a part of Lebanon, one of the smallest countries in the region?
Several strategic points should be noted in this regard:
1️⃣ Hezbollah has established a highly powerful organizational structure in which the role of individuals is minimized.** In other words, Hezbollah is not reliant on a single person; if any official within the movement is unable to fulfill their responsibilities for any reason, someone with similar capabilities is immediately substituted.
An example of this is the Secretary-General and commanders of this movement; Hezbollah has had three Secretaries-General so far, and according to Sheikh Naeem Qassem’s remarks on Tuesday, the replacement of all martyrs in leadership positions has been successfully carried out. It should not be forgotten that top military commanders of Hezbollah have been assassinated in some cases, but new options have promptly taken their place.
Some sources close to Hezbollah claim that the movement has prepared 12 individuals for each potential leadership position.
2️⃣ Hezbollah possesses a precise understanding of Israel, its capabilities and resources, political and social structure, internal social divisions, and the perceptions held by its rulers and the people of the occupying state.
This feature has aided the Lebanese resistance in maximizing its exploitation of the enemy’s weaknesses; in other words, in addition to military strikes, it effectively employs psychological operations.
For instance, in the recent war, instead of trying to inflict casualties on the ordinary people of this regime, Hezbollah aimed to make their cities uninhabitable and displace their inhabitants. This strategy is humane and exerts the most pressure on the regime’s politicians.
The martyred Secretary-General of Hezbollah had previously stated that our goal is to expel the Zionists from Palestine, not to kill them; this means Hezbollah is not focused on exterminating Jews but is solely in pursuit of the liberation of Palestinian territory, which legitimizes the actions of the Lebanese resistance even further. A further example of the resistance in Lebanon successfully identifying Israel’s weaknesses can be seen in the 33-Day War; at times, when the Zionist enemy managed to advance a few meters into Lebanon, Hezbollah, instead of disintegrating and attempting to reclaim the captured areas quickly, targeted the internal resilience of the enemy, increasing the range of its missiles and rockets, and forcing the Zionist army to retreat by applying pressure on the occupying population.
3️⃣ Trust and credibility in Hezbollah among both its supporters and opponents is unparalleled. Hezbollah has demonstrated that it fulfills every promise it makes; for example, when it says, “We will defeat Israel,” its supporters believe it; or if it states, “Your homes will be destroyed, but we will build better ones,” the people accept it.
If Hezbollah tells the Israelis that they will target Haifa and other cities, they believe this threat.
As a result, this trust and credibility that Hezbollah has created regarding its positions and strategies among the people of Lebanon and its adversaries have transformed the movement into an unparalleled organization among militia groups and political parties worldwide.
4️⃣ Hezbollah has the necessary resources for waging war against Israel on land, in the air, and at sea.** Although Israel has managed to carry out targeted assassinations of the commanders and Secretary-General of this movement, it has not been able to secure established advances on the ground or prevent Hezbollah’s rockets, missiles, or drones from hitting their targets.
While Israel has achieved remarkable tactical successes, Hezbollah’s strategy of displacing Israelis and rendering their cities uninhabitable has proven more successful, and the Zionist army has yet to thwart Hezbollah’s objective, resorting only to the destruction of homes and infrastructure in Lebanon.
These strategic victories are owed to a strong organizational structure, effective and up-to-date weaponry, and a precise understanding of Israel, its social and political structure, and its military. Netanyahu thought that by eliminating the prominent figures of Hezbollah, he could force the movement to raise the flag of surrender, but the resistance continued to thrive. The essence of Imam Khamenei’s significant statements regarding the strength of this movement and its victory against Israel lies in this resilience.