Hezbollah Raises Military Alert Amid Israeli Strikes on Radwan Force Commanders
Hezbollah has raised its military alert level, preparing for potential Israeli escalation, while the IDF targets operatives violating the November 2024 ceasefire. The group’s strategic shifts, including halting scholarship funds, highlight ongoing tensions and challenges to regional stability.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, escalated its military alert status, directing its operatives to "prepare for any scenario" amid fears of a significant Israeli attack, according to Al Hadath. The group’s heightened vigilance follows ongoing Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah operatives violating the November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. On July 26, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) eliminated Muhammad Haidar Abboud, a key Hezbollah commander in the elite Radwan Force, and an artillery operative in Debaal, southern Lebanon. The IDF stated, "The terrorists were involved in attempts to re-establish Hezbollah’s Radwan Force terrorist infrastructure and advanced terror attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel," adding, "Their activities constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel."
Hezbollah’s alert level increase coincides with a strategic shift, including a decision to suspend university scholarship funding for families of fighters killed in the war with Israel, a move described as unprecedented. This follows a ceasefire that ended a year-long conflict, displacing 1.4 million in Lebanon and 96,000 in northern Israel, with 4,000 deaths in Lebanon, including 700 women and 200 children, per Lebanese authorities. Recent IDF actions, including 250 strikes since November 2024, have killed 190 in Lebanon, prompting accusations of ceasefire violations. Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, declared on July 18, “We’re ready to fight, no to disarming, no to surrender,” signaling resistance to U.S.-led disarmament pressures. A July 4 Reuters report noted Hezbollah’s strategic review, contemplating a reduced armed role but retaining lighter weapons like anti-tank missiles. Social media on X reflects tension, with one user posting, “Hezbollah’s on edge, Israel’s strikes are relentless, ceasefire or not.”