ALBAWABA - The Telegraph said that Hezbollah, the world's greatest non-state armed group, outperforms numerous Middle Eastern states, including Lebanon. Hezbollah's reaction to Israeli provocations has been surprising given its huge stockpile of precision-guided missiles that can hit any Israeli city.
Adrian Blomfield, reporting from Beirut, reports that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has frequently threatened to launch heavy rockets toward Tel Aviv if Israel attacks southern Beirut. The Hezbollah leadership is unwilling to escalate the fight. According to the study, Iran regards Hezbollah as a strategic asset, which may explain this reticence. Tehran fears a bigger confrontation may lure the U.S. into it, which Benjamin Netanyahu may want.
Two Israeli bombings in Beirut in two months killed Nasrallah's military chiefs. Hezbollah launched its largest rocket bombardment over the border after previous coordinated assaults hampered its communications. In response, Hezbollah declared a “open-ended battle” with Israel.
Despite this increase, Hezbollah has not attacked large Israeli cities or used its most powerful weapons. Iran may be hoarding Hezbollah's missiles, according to the report. If Israel attacks Iran's nuclear program, Tehran may keep Hezbollah strong as deterrent.
Blomfield also suggests that Lebanon's popular sentiment and the possibility of Israeli intervention may influence Hezbollah's leadership. Although Hezbollah's arsenal has increased since the 2006 war, Lebanese analyst Qasim Qasir, who has close ties to the group, believes the group is using gradual attrition to weaken Israel rather than an all-out war.
