As days pass, Israeli pressure on Hezbollah continues to increase, pushing the organization closer to the brink of collapse. Two days ago, on the anniversary of the war’s outbreak, Hezbollah suffered particularly severe blows: the Israeli Air Force launched one of the largest airstrikes in the war so far, and in fact, one of the biggest in the 21st century overall. The strikes targeted dozens of Hezbollah headquarters throughout southern Lebanon, many of which served as command centers for field commanders and intelligence and communications units. According to the IDF Spokesperson, many of the sites were destroyed, and at least dozens of Hezbollah operatives were killed, including several senior field commanders. The IDF’s strikes on Hezbollah’s command and control system have continued to deepen.
Simultaneously, the IDF expanded its ground operations beyond the northern border, with two additional divisions joining the maneuvers: Division 91 (the regional division for the Galilee area) and Division 146 (a reserve division that had not yet been activated in the war). Currently, at least four divisions, including over eight brigades, are operating in Lebanese territory, while three divisions with more than six brigades are active in the Gaza Strip. The Shiite villages near the Israeli border, such as Mays al-Jabal, Yaroun, and Maroun al-Ras, have been partially captured and destroyed by IDF forces, with the death toll significantly lower than that of the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Yesterday (Tuesday), the Israeli flag was raised over the central building of Maroun al-Ras, symbolizing Israeli resilience.
The impact of the blow to Hezbollah was clearly evident in the speech by Naim Qassem, deputy to Nasrallah and one of the few remaining senior leaders in the organization. In his speech, he stated that Hezbollah was relying on the efforts of Nabih Berri (Chairman of the Shiite Amal Movement) to reach a ceasefire agreement, expressing a preliminary willingness to compromise with Israel independently of the Gaza Strip—an act seen as a sign of defeat for Hezbollah. At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a speech directed at the Lebanese people, urging them to take responsibility for their fate and actively oppose Hezbollah now in order to return Lebanon to the path of stable nations—or else face a future filled with wars, crises, and bloodshed. In the coming days, it remains to be seen if the non-Shiite communities in Lebanon will seize this historic opportunity to shift the balance of power in the country and cement the strategic shift that Israel has achieved against Iran.
