Ten months of cross-border violence between Hezbollah and Israeli forces has killed senior commanders and several hundred fighters from the Iran-backed group, causing destruction and displacing tens of thousands on both sides. Hezbollah has seen more fighters killed since October than when it last went to war with Israel in the summer of 2006.
Israeli strikes have killed key Hezbollah commanders in recent months. In January, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force was killed in an Israeli strike, as well as two of its three area commanders in south Lebanon. Hezbollah has divided its operations in south Lebanon into three areas following the 2006 war. Israel has repeatedly said it has killed other Hezbollah fighters whom it has called “commanders.”
The violence has killed some 570 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters from Hezbollah. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, 22 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed. Hezbollah has issued statements announcing the deaths of more than 370 members who have been killed in Lebanon and around 320 of the slain Hezbollah fighters were from south Lebanon.
Hezbollah has said it is seeking to tie up Israeli military resources in the country’s north in support of ally Hamas. The escalating attacks have raised fears of a broader conflict, and Lebanon has been on edge since senior commanders of Hezbollah were killed. The group has also carried out 2,500 “military operations” against Israel, targeting border positions and military barracks using various weapons.
