Down but not out: In war with Israel, Hezbollah shows it is still powerful

Beirut, Lebanon – When Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024, the popular perception was that the pro-Iranian Lebanese group was a spent force. At the time, an intensification of Israel’s war on Lebanon had eliminated much of the group’s senior leadership, including longtime Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and the Israeli military had invaded the country’s south. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list At the governmental level, Lebanon began discussing the group’s full disarmament, while debates raged inside the country over Hezbollah’s future as both a military and political power. However, Hezbollah is now back on the battlefield, fighting Israel in southern Lebanon, and appears not to be as degraded a fighting force as many believed. Analysts told Al Jazeera that the group’s fortunes seem to have turned, but that its future is still unclear and is likely tied to the negotiations between Washington and Tehran, primarily focused on ending the US-Israel war on Iran and the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. Hezbollah still strong Following the November 2024 “ceasefire”, Israel continued to periodically attack Lebanon, at a lower intensity, for the next 15 months, killing hundreds of people. Hezbollah avoided responding until March 2, days after US-Israeli strikes assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a figure held in high esteem by the Lebanese Shia group. …