Hezbollah Possesses 200,000 Rockets and Up to 100,000 Fighters, Says Tel Aviv Think Tank
Hezbollah has massive arsenal
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shia militia and political party, has a huge stockpile of rockets and missiles, as well as tens of thousands of fighters, according to a report by an Israeli think tank. The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), based in Tel Aviv, said in its report that Hezbollah’s military wing had between 50,000 and 100,000 fighters, including regulars and reservists. The report also said that Hezbollah had some 150,000-200,000 rockets, mortar bombs, and missiles, some of which were highly accurate and destructive. The report estimated that Hezbollah had 40,000 short-range Grad rockets, 80,000 medium-long range rockets, and 30,000 long-range rockets and missiles. The report also said that Hezbollah had hundreds of Fatah 110 ballistic missiles made by Iran, which could carry 500 kg of explosives and had GPS guidance systems. Moreover, the report said that Hezbollah had advanced Chinese and Russian anti-ship and anti-tank missiles, as well as anti-aircraft missiles that could hit drones and helicopters.
Hezbollah clashes with Israel
Hezbollah has been involved in several exchanges of fire with Israel along the border between Lebanon and Israel in the past two weeks, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Israel has conducted air strikes inside Lebanon, targeting what it claimed were Hezbollah positions and weapons caches. Hezbollah has fired anti-tank missiles, rockets, and mortars at Israeli military posts and towns near the border. It has also attempted to infiltrate into Israel with gunmen. Hezbollah has said that it is ready to join the war in support of Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza and launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and taking 212 hostages. Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem said that the group would not heed any calls from international or regional powers to stay out of the conflict. He said that Hezbollah was “prepared and ready, fully ready” to confront any Israeli aggression.
Israel prepares for northern front
Israel has said that it is not interested in opening another front in the north with Hezbollah, as it focuses on its air strikes on Gaza and its possible ground invasion. However, Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant said that the army must be prepared for any move by Hezbollah, which he said was “10 times stronger” than Hamas. He urged the government to finalize the transfer of military equipment to the northern front – the border region with Lebanon. He also warned that Hezbollah would face a “devastating” strike from Israel if it started a war.
US concerned about wider conflict
The US has expressed concern that Hezbollah could join the war in Gaza and escalate the violence in the region. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that Hezbollah was a “potent terrorist group” that was closely watched by the US and Israel. He said that the US did not want to see the conflict widened or Hezbollah make such a decision. He also said that the US was working diplomatically to end the hostilities and restore calm.
Source » msn.com
