Hezbollah

The Pro-Iranian Militias in Syria

Syria is the geographical center of the Iranian-controlled radical axis and the arena where pro-Iranian militias operate, some of them brought in by Iran and others formed locally by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. They have one main purpose: to ensure the continuation of Bashar Assad's regime, accomplished on the pretext of "defending the Shi'ite shrines." The Syrian Civil War began in 2011 and was won by the forces supporting Assad, who continues his efforts to stabilize the government institutions and rebuild his army. The pro-Iranian militias serve as another tool for establishing Iranian strategy in Syria and Lebanon. Today there are more than 60,000 operatives in the pro-Iranian militias, deployed in several areas, the most important of which are along the Euphrates, in and around Aleppo and the greater Damascus area, and in the depths of the Syrian desert and the southern part of the country. There is a particularly great concentration of militias in eastern Syria, an area of such great strategic importance it has been referred to as an Iranian colony. It is an overland corridor used to transport weapons from Iran through Iraq to Syria, and from there to Lebanon, bolstering the military buildup through local weapons manufacture. The main purpose of their presence in the Syrian desert is to secure vital facilities and defend them against ISIS attack, while in the south and around Damascus they have made connections with the local Syrian communities. Since the middle of 2021, and with greater intensity since the beginning of 2022, the pro-Iranian militias have expanded their presence to other areas in Syria. Some of the changes in eastern and southern Syria were apparently the result of Russia's withdrawing its forces[1] and the attempts of the militias to avoid Israel and American attacks. Of all the militia forces and armed groups operating in Syria under Iranian aegis, Hezbollah-Lebanon poses the greatest conventional military threat to Israel. The organization's operatives are constructing a system for collecting intelligence along the Golan Heights border, which is meant to serve as a base for planning attacks orchestrated by Iran, which aspires to preserve the "resistance axis," threatening Israel through proxy organizations. The militias are part of Iran's overall intervention in Syria to increase its sphere of influence and establish a permanent presence, ensure the continuation of Syrian dependence on Iran and gain a foothold in the Levant, in addition to its unreserved support of Hezbollah-Lebanon.
Read more...

An organization named the Galilee Forces – Lone Wolves claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack at the Megiddo Junction

A terrorist network calling itself the Galilee Forces – Lone Wolves claimed responsibility for the IEDs attack at the Megiddo Junction on March 13, 2023. The claim of responsibility was published on the network's Telegram channel and had texts and videos under its name and logo. The claim of responsibility also relate to previous attacks allegedly carried out by the network's operatives. One was the shooting attack at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem on March 6, 2008. Very little is known about the organization except for the few bits of information issued by the media.
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (March 3-17, 2023)

On March 13, 2023, a powerful IED exploded near the Megiddo Junction in northern Israel. It damaged a vehicle and seriously wounded the driver. Investigation revealed it was similar to IEDs which had been used to attack IDF forces in south Lebanon. The terrorist who placed it was pursued, caught and shot to death near the border on his way back to Lebanon. He apparently infiltrated into Israel several days previously. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah claimed Israel no longer engaged in aggressive action in Lebanon because of the "balance of deterrence." He said Hezbollah would support Suleiman Frangieh in the Lebanese presidential elections. Friction continues between Lebanese army forces and civilians on the one hand, and the IDF on the other because of IDF infrastructure activities along the border. Hezbollah claimed to have exposed an "IDF recording device" hidden in a fake rock in the Tel al-'Abed region. Despite expected support from Hezbollah and Amal, Suleiman Frangieh has not yet announced his candidacy in the Lebanese presidential race. According to reports from Syria, there are almost 3,000 Hezbollah operatives in the country, most of them low-level, now that the high-ranking operatives, fearing for their lives, have left. The airport in Aleppo reopened two days after an attack attributed to Israel. There was an explosion near a weapons factory in eastern Syria, which killed at least four people. The source of the explosion is uncertain.
Read more...

Protests in Israel and the rejection of the government’s new legal reforms from the perspective of the Palestinians and Hezbollah

The Palestinian media are systematically covering the demonstrations held in Israel to protest the legal reforms advanced by the Israeli government. Their reports are generally informative . Several Palestinian political commentators related to the issue. Some stressed that its unity was being eroded. Some even called on the Palestinians to unite and exploit the crisis to advance the "liberation" and to continue the "resistance." The Iranian and Arab channels also devote a large part of their airtime to events in Israel and encourage the division in Israeli society. High-ranking Hezbollah figures relate to the protests and push their own narrative, which stresses the "temporary nature of the Zionist entity" and quote Hassan Nasrallah's speech about the "spider web.
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (February 17 – March 2, 2023)

Hezbollah leader gave a speech devoted mainly to internal Lebanese affairs and America's intervention, and adding that in his estimation, in the wake of the current intifada, Israel would not reach its 80th anniversary. Hezbollah began a propaganda campaign called "The spider's house," predicting a civil war in Israel.The American administration announced that one of Hezbollah's most important financial figures had been detained in Romania. Two Hezbollah-affiliated operatives were apprehended in an IDF operational activity in the southern Golan Heights.
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism : Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (February 3-16, 2023)

After the earthquake Hezbollah asserted its support for the people of Syria and Turkey and announced it had launched a campaign to help the victims. It accused the United States of preventing humanitarian assistance from reaching Syria.A French made-for-TV documentary exposed Hezbollah's involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering.February 12, 2023, marked the 15th anniversary of the death of Imad Mughniyeh. Many websites posted details about his life, activities and influence.An important Hamas figure visited Lebanon this past week and met with many Lebanese officials.
Read more...