Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (september 15 – 28, 2025)

Overview

• IDF forces attacked Hezbollah infrastructure and eliminated operatives of the organization as part of ongoing operations against Hezbollah’s presence in south Lebanon, which violates the ceasefire agreement understandings, and against Hezbollah’s efforts to increase its military capabilities and restore its arsenal. A precision missile production site and Radwan Force camps were, attacked and seven Hezbollah operatives were eliminated.
• The continued Israeli attacks, and especially the deaths of four uninvolved family members in Bint Jbeil, aroused anger in Lebanon: Hezbollah accused the Lebanese government of weakness, while leaders criticized the performance of the committee supervising the implementation of the ceasefire and that it was biased in Israel’s favor.
• Hezbollah marked the anniversary of the pager attack and the killing of secretary general Hassan Nasrallah and his designated successor Hashem Safi al-Din, as well as other senior figures. Na’im Qassem, the current secretary general, reiterated the organization’s refusal to disarm and claimed Hezbollah was prepared for “martyrdom.”
• Lebanese President Aoun used his visit to the UN General Assembly to call for pressure to be exerted on Israel to stop its attacks and withdraw from Lebanese territory while reiterating the commitment of the Lebanese authorities to Hezbollah’s disarmament. Aoun reportedly instructed the army commander to ensure weapons were cleared from all the territory south of the Litani River.
• Senior Lebanese government officials met with senior Iranian officials who reiterated their promises not to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs. The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council denied that his country was sending weapons to Hezbollah.

The Ceasefire

The IDF

• IDF forces attacked Hezbollah infrastructure and eliminated operatives of the organization as part of ongoing operations against Hezbollah’s presence south of the Litany River, which violates the November 27, 2024 ceasefire agreement understandings, and against Hezbollah’s efforts to increase its military capabilities and restore its arsenal. The IDF attacked a precision missile production site in the Beqa’a Valley, a Hezbollah military headquarters in Nabatiyeh and Radwan Force camps in south Lebanon, eliminating six Hezbollah operatives in south Lebanon and the Baalbek area. The IDF expressed regret after four uninvolved people who were near a Hezbollah operative close to a civilian population were killed in the Bint Jbeil attack (IDF spokesperson, September 15–28, 2025). The Lebanese ministry of health reported that ten people were killed in the Israeli attacks, including four members of one family in Bint Jbeil, and at least 21 more people were injured (al-Nashra, September 15–28, 2025). Hezbollah-affiliated social media channels published the names of seven Hezbollah operatives who were killed in the attacks (Balagh and South Lebanon – Observer of the Enemy Telegram channels, September 15–28, 2025).

Hezbollah

• Hezbollah expressed anger at the continued Israeli attacks and said the government was responsible for dealing with the “violations.” Hezbollah parliament member Hassan Fadlallah said that the Israeli “aggression” would strengthen the Lebanese people’s adherence to the “resistance.”^[1] He claimed appeals to the ceasefire supervision mechanism could not be relied on, and therefore the state had to take a practical national stance to stop the “violations” and “confront the aggression with determination and by all possible means” (al-Nashra, September 19, 2025). On another occasion, he said that so far the “resistance” had allowed the state to lead the “struggle” against Israel, but claimed that the state was not fulfilling its responsibility and was “helpless.” He said the state was obliged to fulfill its responsibility and Hezbollah would carry out the rehabilitation process it had promised, which would be completed “at the appropriate time” (LBC, September 21, 2025). Fadlallah also attacked the committee supervising the ceasefire agreement in south Lebanon and said it was misleading Lebanon in everything related to the ongoing Israeli “violations,” without giving Lebanon any guarantee regarding the end of the attacks, while the Lebanese government was unable to take any practical action (al-Nashra, September 21, 2025).

The Lebanese Government

• According to reports, the increased Israeli attacks, some of which were accompanied by evacuation warnings beforehand, caused concern in Lebanon regarding a significant Israeli escalation (al-Sharq al-Awsat, September 20, 2025).
• Senior Lebanese officials criticized the inefficiency the United States-headed ceasefire implementation supervision committee and called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop its attacks and withdraw from the five points it holds in south Lebanon:
  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel continued attacking despite the presence of representatives from Arab states involved in the ceasefire agreement on the committee, and their silence could be interpreted as neglect. He added that the mechanism for supervising the agreement was supposed to serve all parties, not as a cover for the actions of one side (Lebanese presidential office X account, September 18, 2025). After the attack in Bint Jbeil, in which four uninvolved members of a family were killed, Aoun called on the international community to act to stop the “violations” and pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory (Lebanese presidency X account, September 21, 2025).
  • Speaking before the UN General Assembly in New York, Aoun said that Lebanon demanded an immediate cessation of Israeli attacks, withdrawal from Lebanese land and the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel. He said Lebanon was committed to the American document and expected that “all those involved” would behave accordingly. He said he regretted the need to speak of peace, development and human rights at a time when his people were being killed, foreign forces were inside Lebanon and its future hung in the balance (al-Nashra, September 23, 2025). Aoun met with several foreign leaders and officials, including United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He asked Rubio to ensure Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, stop its attacks, withdraw from south Lebanon and return the Lebanese prisoners. He also requested equipment and supplies for the Lebanese army so it could carry out its duties throughout Lebanon (Lebanese National News Agency, September 23, 2025). He also met with the CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper to discuss the regional security situation and the latest developments in south Lebanon. He reiterated his call to support the Lebanese army so it could fulfill its role in spreading state authority over all of Lebanon’s territory (Lebanese presidency X account, September 26, 2025).

• • Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam asked how Israel continued its “aggression,” considering the activity of the supervision mechanism. He called on the international community, especially the states guaranteeing the ceasefire, to exert maximum pressure on Israel to meet its commitments, including stopping the attacks, withdrawing from Lebanon and releasing the Lebanese prisoners it held (Nawaf Salam’s X account, September 18, 2025). Salam called the attack in Bint Jbeil “a crime against civilians” and claimed its objective was to intimidate residents returning to their villages (Lebanese prime minister’s office X account, September 21, 2025).
  • Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, condemned the attack in Bint Jbeil, carried out “in front of” the ceasefire supervision committee, which had convened shortly before in Naqoura, the meeting attended by United States envoy Morgan Ortagus. Berri asked if “Lebanese girls constituted an existential threat to the Israeli entity, or Israel’s conduct endangered international security and peace?” (al-Nashra, September 21, 2025).
• The Lebanese ministry of health estimated that between October 8, 2023, until the ceasefire on November 27, 2024, about 4,047 people had been killed in Lebanon and 300,000 people had been displaced, with 100,000 displaced from villages along the border still not having returned to their homes. According to estimates, from the start of the ceasefire until September 19, 2025, 270 people had been killed and 540 wounded. According to the Lebanese Prisoners Authority, there were 19 Lebanese detainees in Israel, six of them Hezbollah operatives and the rest civilians. It was further noted that the Lebanese government estimated the damages at between $12 and $14 billion, including 51,000 housing units destroyed completely and 317,000 partially destroyed (al-Sharq al-Awsat, September 25, 2025).

The Lebanese Army

• The Lebanese army accused Israel of disrupting the deployment of army forces in the south of the country and said the continued attacks could prevent the army from deploying south of the Litani River (Lebanese army X account, September 18, 2025).

UNIFIL

• According to reports, UNIFIL units at two outposts in the Deir Kaifa area of south Lebanon evacuated to shelters to maintain their security following a series of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah targets. UNIFIL called on IDF forces to stop attacking and withdraw from Lebanese territory (UNIFIL Telegram channel, September 19, 2025).
• An Israeli UAV crashed into the UNIFIL Force headquarters in Naqoura. UNIFIL criticized Israel and accused it of “violating” UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and of Lebanon’s sovereignty. The statement said that “while peacekeepers are equipped and ready to act against threats to their security in self-defense, this UAV fell on its own” (UNIFIL Telegram channel, September 24, 2025).

Challenges to Hezbollah One Year after the Death of Nasrallah^[2]

• Hezbollah held formal ceremonies marking the anniversary of the pager attack and the killing of secretary general Hassan Nasrallah and his designated successor Hashem Safi al-Din senior figures of the organization, among others. The ceremonies brought to light the challenges currently facing the organization, headed by the demand for it to disarm, its status in Lebanon, continued Israeli attacks and economic and other internal difficulties.
• Hezbollah secretary general Na’im Qassem and other figures used the memorial events to reiterate their opposition to disarming the “resistance.”^[3] In a speech for the anniversary of Nasrallah’s death, Qassem stressed that Hezbollah would never give up its weapons and would die a “martyr’s death” instead. He claimed that the government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah was a “sin” caused by American pressure and said it was desirable that the government revoke the decision (al-‘Ahed, September 27, 2025).

• President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam continued to reiterate their commitment, given increasing American pressure, to the state’s monopoly on weapons. “Lebanese military sources” revealed that Aoun had asked the commander of the Lebanese army, General Rodolf Haykal, to ensure that the disarming south of the Litani River would be fully implemented. Aoun emphasized the need to completely cleanse the area of all weapons depots, factories or military entities affiliated with Hezbollah. The “sources” emphasized that disarmament and the complete clearing of the area south of the Litani of any weapons not legitimate to the state, together with the army’s control of all sites in the south, would prevent any pretext that Israel might use to launch a military operation (Aram News, September 20, 2025).

Lebanon-Iran Relations

• On the sidelines of the Arab-Islamic emergency summit held in Qatar following the Israeli attack on the Hamas leadership in Doha, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who said his country sought to expand cooperation and strengthen its relations with Lebanon and other regional countries, based on mutual respect. Aoun said his country aspired to friendly relations with Iran and he hoped it would be possible to overcome obstacles to developing bilateral relations and expanding cooperation (Iranian presidency website and Lebanese presidency X account, September 15, 2025).

• An Iranian delegation headed by Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, arrived in Lebanon to participate in the main ceremony for the anniversary of Nasrallah’s death (Iranian embassy in Lebanon X account, September 27, 2025). Larijani also met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Salam said the relations between the countries had to be based on mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs (Lebanese prime minister’s office X account, September 27, 2025). After meeting with Berri, Larijani said that Hezbollah was “a barrier against Israel and sacrificed itself for the people.” He praised secretary general Na’im Qassem for his call to Saudi Arabia to turn over a new leaf in its relations with Hezbollah. He claimed that he had “not heard” of any shipments of Iranian weapons to Hezbollah, adding that the organization was “strong enough” (al-Alam, September 27, 2025).

     
Right: Larijani (left)with Lebanese Prime Minister Salam (Lebanese prime minister’s office X account, September 27, 2025). Left: Larijani and the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon during the Nasrallah memorial ceremony (Younes News Agency, September 27, 2025)

• Before Larijani’s arrival, the Lebanese government refused to allow two Iranian planes to land at the international airport ahead of the events marking the anniversary of Nasrallah’s killing (al-Jadeed, September 26, 2025).

The Palestinians in Lebanon

• Lebanese President Aoun met with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the Arab-Islamic summit in Qatar. They discussed the agreement to disarm the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and the work of the joint committees operating in coordination to ensure the implementation of the agreement. Mahmoud Abbas said the agreement served the interests of Lebanon and the Palestinians, while Aoun thanked Abbas for his efforts on the issue (Lebanese presidency X account, September 15, 2025).

^[1] Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon.
^[2] For further information, see the September 2025 ITIC report, "The Anniversary of Nasrallah's Death and the Challenges Facing Hezbollah."
^[3] Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon.

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