Hezbollah militants and missiles (Left) and Hassan Nasrallah (Right). Photo Credit: The Cradle.
By Khalil Nasrallah – Oct 1, 2024
Since the 2006 war, Israel has been dead-set on destroying Hezbollah’s command and control system. Which means, for 18 years, the Lebanese resistance has meticulously planned to ensure that there will never be a leadership vacuum, and the battle will tick on, uninterrupted.
In his final speech on 19 September, the martyred Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, spoke with a vision of resilience and determination, offering reassurance about the state of the Lebanese resistance movement following the deadly terrorist attack involving exploding pagers and walkie-talkies carried out by the occupation state:
Our structure is large, strong, and cohesive, and our preparations are high… Let the enemy know that what happened will not affect our will or presence on the front lines but will, in fact, strengthen our resolve.
Recognizing the act as a “declaration of war,” the late resistance leader vowed that “the fighting on the Lebanese front will not stop before the war in Gaza ends,” concluding that “We hope they enter Lebanese lands… because on the front, they are in fortified positions… we consider this a historic opportunity, we wish for it.”
This message is critical at a time when both supporters and enemies are scrutinizing the future of the resistance, especially following the assassination of Nasrallah and the most senior figures in Hezbollah’s military command hierarchy.
A central concern now is the resistance’s structure, command, capabilities, and battle management in the aftermath of these significant losses, while the occupation state looks to commit ground forces for an invasion of the south.
It has been four days since the resistance suffered blows in the southern suburb of Beirut after a series of devastating Israeli strikes that targeted the residential area to assassinate leaders at various levels.
The question now is: how will the resistance respond to this aggression, which threatens not just the resistance but all of Lebanon? Equally pressing is the management of the ongoing battle, especially as media and foreign policy campaigns aim to weaken the morale of the people, portraying the martyrdom of Nasrallah as a “fatal blow” to Hezbollah.
But how does this align with the actual facts?
While the assassination of Nasrallah and key leaders is indeed a significant loss, these individuals are part of a generation that has been at the forefront of the resistance since its inception in the Lebanese Civil War amid the second Israeli invasion of the south.
They possess an intimate understanding of Israeli strategies, their tendencies towards aggression, and their methods of intimidation. For decades, Israel has systematically targeted resistance leaders – not only within Hezbollah but across various factions, including the Palestinian resistance.
Despite these efforts, the resistance has not only survived but grown stronger. The charismatic Nasrallah himself was a successor of the slain secretary-general Abbas al-Musawi, leading the movement to greater heights and strategic successes in subsequent wars with the occupation state, notably overseeing the withdrawal from the south and the 2006 victory.
However, the current moment represents one of the most critical and sensitive phases in the history of the conflict between the resistance and Israel. The broader regional and international context, especially after a decade of war in Syria, has heightened the stakes. Israel, which reoriented its intelligence apparatus for two decades, now faces a direct confrontation with the region’s Axis of Resistance.
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The 33-day war of 2006 was a turning point for Tel Aviv, which realized that Hezbollah’s robust command and control system was a key factor in its inability to achieve its objectives. The Winograd Commission’s report on the war placed much of the blame on Israeli intelligence for its failure.
Since then, Israel has shifted its focus, recognizing that the resistance’s command and control system, more than its military capabilities, poses the greatest threat in the north. Any survival of this system could lead to another defeat for Israel in a future conflict.
After almost a year of war focused on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has turned its attention north, carrying out a series of strikes aimed at Hezbollah’s leadership and command infrastructure.
This began with the assassination of Fuad Shukr, followed by attacks on communication systems, and culminated in the assassination of Nasrallah and several key commanders. Israel’s goal is clear: to disrupt Hezbollah’s command and control system, which it views as essential to avoiding another military defeat.
The occupation state hopes this will lead to a weakening of the Lebanese support front amid the ongoing war on Gaza and the West Bank, ultimately forcing Hezbollah into a surrender that would secure Israeli dominance in the region.
But has the resistance anticipated such a scenario?
Hezbollah has long understood Israel’s strategy, gaining valuable insights from both the 2006 war and the Winograd report. In response, it has fortified its command and control system, ensuring that even in the event of leadership losses, no vacuum would emerge.
This approach was demonstrated following the assassinations of prominent figures like Imad Mughniyeh in 2008 and Hassan Lakkis in 2012. The organization has continuously adapted its structure to prevent any major disruptions, maintaining stability in its political, military, and security leadership.
The recent strikes have undoubtedly created a disruption within the resistance, but this is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it reflects the leadership’s need to quickly restructure and fill any gaps from the loss of key figures.
This period of reorganization has been swift, with Hezbollah’s leadership issuing statements reaffirming their commitment to the ongoing fight. In his major speech, deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem included key phrases emphasizing that the resistance will continue to support Gaza and defend Lebanon, signaling that the command system remains operational and intact.
“We will face any possibility, and we are ready if the Israelis decide to enter by land. The resistance forces are prepared for a ground engagement,” the defiant cleric asserted.
This statement directly challenges Netanyahu’s goal of altering West Asia’s strategic status quo, reaffirming that the resistance’s vision extends beyond national borders.
Given the scene inside Lebanon during the past few grueling days – the deaths of resistance leaders, displacement of a million civilians, and the daily massacre of men, women, and children in relentless Israeli aerial bombing campaigns, it is clear that the delay of the resistance was not out of weakness or retreat, but rather to absorb the strikes and arrange its house rapidly.
This was a prelude to actions on the battlefield. The balance of power has been readjusted, in itself a blow to the Israeli–American plan to destroy the resistance, dismantle the Unity of Fronts, and deliver the region into an Israeli-run “normalization” era.
With the martyrdom of its secretary-general, Hezbollah is more motivated than ever to thwart Israel’s war objectives and ensure the freedom of the people of West Asia.
