Lebanon's Iran-backed group Hezbollah. After Hamas fired rockets into Israel on October 7, Hezbollah also attacked Israel along the Lebanese border. Then they come to the discussion again.
Currently, this armed group, one of the most powerful in the world, has about one and a half million rockets and long-range missiles. With these weapons, they can attack inside Israel at any time. This information has been revealed in a recent analysis.
In 2010, then US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made an assessment of Hezbollah in a press conference. The then Defense Minister of Israel Ehud Barak was also present at that press conference. Robert Gates said, "We learned that Hezbollah has more missiles and rockets than many countries in the world."
This Lebanese armed group continued to expand. They modernized various war equipment systems including rockets. It is alleged that Iran helps them in these activities. In addition, Hezbollah has also used the experience gained while supporting Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.
According to a recently published information, Hezbollah has one and a half million rockets and missiles. Most can hit targets several kilometers away. However, multiple reports suggest that they have a significant number of missiles capable of striking hundreds of kilometers from Lebanon.
According to a study by Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, Hezbollah is considered to be the most armed of the world's non-state organizations. This research was done in 2018. The study also said that Hezbollah has a large number of 'dumb' rockets. They also have ballistic missiles, anti-aircraft, anti-tank and anti-ship missiles in their arsenal.
Shan Sheikh is one of the members of that research team. Talked to him this week. He warned about Hezbollah's intervention in Syria, saying, "Hezbollah may get more advanced and standoff missiles from Syria, Iran or Russia, which is worrying." Standoff missiles are capable of attacking distant targets from anywhere.
An article recently published by the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. It has been said that Hezbollah has about 40,000 short-range rockets, 80,000 medium-range Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 rockets made by Iran, and 30,000 long-range Gelzel rockets and Fateh-110 missiles.
The article also states that Hezbollah has received a small number of Scud missiles from Syria. Apart from this, they also got several hundred Fateh-110 missiles. These missiles are capable of carrying bombs weighing 500 kg. This missile with GPS technology is capable of attacking the enemy at any location perfectly.
Israel's military and defense ministry estimates Hezbollah could fire several thousand rockets in the first few days of the war. After that, they have the ability to launch 1500 rockets every day. During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the organization fired an average of about 200 rockets per day.
In addition to large stockpiles of ammunition, Hezbollah also has a large stockpile of anti-aircraft missiles. These include shoulder-launched missiles, which can shoot down helicopters and low-flying aircraft. Another feature of this missile is that it is capable of concealing the location of the launcher. As a result, anyone can quickly disappear by firing a missile.
Hezbollah also has heavy air defense systems. These include surface-to-air missiles. This missile can hit targets 24 km in the air at a distance of 50 km.
During the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah's anti-tank missiles posed a serious threat to the Israeli military. They had to suffer a lot of damage. Anti-tank units used Russian Kornet missiles. It is similar to the US Javelin missile. Being relatively light, it can hit tanks from long distances.
Israel has been using armored tanks since 2011. It is capable of intercepting any anti-tank missile. In 2014, this tank successfully countered a Cornet missile.
In addition to building a missile arsenal, Hezbollah has been building its own air force for 20 years. The mainstay of this force is unmanned drones. Some drones are made in Iran, while others are produced locally.
Hezbollah has a commando unit, known as the Redwan Force. This force is considered capable of fighting Israel. As Hamas attacked southern Israel two weeks ago, they may also seize some villages and towns along the Israeli border.
Hezbollah has about 2,500 members, trained in Lebanon and Iran. They are capable of paragliding and seaborne attacks. In addition, many of them have experience of participating in the Syrian civil war.
In 2018, the military discovered several tunnels in northern Israel. It is believed that Hezbollah members used to enter Israel using these tunnels. After the Hamas attack on October 7, it was proved once again that it is possible to attack Israel using tunnels.
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