Hezbollah has been gradually deploying its arsenal in the ongoing conflict with Israel that intensified over the past year, engulfing all of Lebanon a month ago.
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted Hezbollah’s extensive underground network in the Litani River area, which includes hundreds of tunnels and bunkers storing modern Russian weaponry.
This development came hours after the Washington Post reported Israeli officials finding Russian and Chinese anti-tank weapons in Lebanon.
Military experts suggest Hezbollah’s restrained weapon use, primarily due to Israel’s tactical surprises including communications sabotage and the assassination of its secretary-general, has prolonged the warfare, urging a tactical sparing of missile deployment amidst extensive Israeli airstrikes.
Moreover, military strategist Brigadier Hassan Jouni cannot confirm the specifics of the advanced Russian weapons mentioned by Netanyahu, indicating that Hezbollah might withhold such capabilities until necessary.
Jouni emphasized Hezbollah’s mastery of surprise and gradual weaponry deployment.
Hezbollah has been utilizing a range of missiles, from the “Nasr 1” with a 100-kilometer range and a 100-kilogram warhead, to more long-range options capable of reaching deep into Israeli territory.
The strategic use of these weapons aims not to overturn the conflict’s balance but to establish a parity of insecurity between Lebanon and Israel.
Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, Hezbollah’s missile strategy has included deploying Katyusha and Burkan rockets, each carrying 300 to 500 kilograms of explosives.
The group later resorted to ballistic missiles to target the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv, a direct response to their leaders’ assassination.
Israeli military sources also reported increased use of Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles and surface-to-air missiles of Iranian origin, targeting Israeli drones and pressuring fighter jets to retreat.
Hezbollah continues to assert its significant defensive capabilities in the conflict through strategic and sporadic use of its upgraded arsenal.
