Reuters news agency is summarizing preliminary results of the 14-month war between Hezbollah and Israel, highlighting that the group has faced unprecedented losses and destruction.
Sources say the death toll could reach several thousand, ten times more than during the second Lebanon war in 2006. However, the exact death toll is still unknown, as the bodies of many activists remain under the rubble. or in areas occupied by the Israel Defense Forces.
The war, especially since the start of the Israeli offensive in September, has caused significant casualties among Hezbollah members. Lebanese authorities report 3,800 dead, but do not specify which of them are civilians and which are militants.
Hezbollah is falling on hard times: the group’s infrastructure has been destroyed, its leadership is in shock after the loss of key leaders, and its members have been left homeless due to the devastating bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs and villages in the southern Lebanon.
Among local residents associated with Hezbollah, many have lost loved ones or been injured. According to one resident, many of her relatives died from the attacks and she herself was forced to leave the village due to the Israeli offensive.
The fighting has caused massive displacement, and more than a million Lebanese, mostly from Shiite areas, have lost their homes. Following the ceasefire, Hezbollah began to rebuild its organizational structure, analyzing the causes of its defeats and reviewing its tactics. Key challenges include identifying the security flaws that allowed Israel to carry out such serious attacks and adapting to modern technologies used by the enemy.
The economic damage was also enormous. The World Bank estimates the cost of the destroyed homes at $2.8 billion. Around 99,000 houses were partially damaged or completely destroyed. Iran, creator and main sponsor of Hezbollah, has promised support for reconstruction. Lebanese authorities and Shiite religious foundations are also actively raising funds to help refugees.
The group is on the verge of a major review of its policies, including on weapons issues and internal strategy in Lebanon.
Previously, Kursor wrote that the agreement between Israel and Hezbollah caused an unexpected turn of events in Lebanon.
Lebanon is considering speeding up the process of electing the country’s president before Donald Trump takes office.
