Lebanon: Fears of war attracting thousands to Hezbollah’s fight

Amidst rising tensions along the southern border of Lebanon, thousands of fighters from Iran-backed groups are prepared to join Hezbollah in their battle against Israel , officials in Iran-backed factions and analysts claimed on the 23rd of June, according to the New Arab.

The northern Israeli borders have bear witness to frequent fire fights with Hezbollah militants since the October 7^th attacks launched by fighters from the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip on Israel which resulted in a death toll of 1,139 people.

An Israeli airstrike earlier this month resulted in the killing of senior Hezbollah commander, Taleb Sami Abdullah, leading to an escalation of the conflict as the militant group retaliated with barrages of rockets and explosive drones sent into northern Israel.

This in turn prompted Israeli officials to approve plans for a military offensive in Lebanon if Hezbollah continue their attacks from the border. “Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region,” said Daniel Hagari who currently serves as the IDF’s head spokesperson. He further added that “Israel will continue fighting against Iran’s axis of evil on all fronts.”

Iran-backed fighters ranging from Iraq to Afghanistan have previously fought together in support of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s 13-year civil war.

Hassan Nasrallah, the current leader of Hezbollah, recently announced in a speech that militant leaders from Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other nations had offered to help the organisation by sending tens of thousands of fighters in assistance. Nasrallah however declined the support stating that he was “overwhelmed” with the current numbers; citing that he already has over 100,000 fighters under his command.

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Now, only a portion of Hezbollah’s manpower is engaged in battle according to Nasrallah, with current fighting reliant on ranged missile and drone attacks that do not require a large number of personnel.

Officials from Lebanese and Iraqi groups backed by Iran have stated that they are willing to deploy fighters from the surrounding region in the event of a war erupting on the Lebanon-Israel border with easy access through the Syrian border. One official from a militant group in Iraq stated to the Associated Press in Baghdad that they would be fighting “shoulder to shoulder with Hezbollah” in the event of an all-out war. Furthermore, the official specified that some advisors had already traveled from Iraq to Lebanon.

The groups from which fighters are aiding Hezbollah come from Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, Afghanistan’s Fatimiyoun, Pakistan Zeinabiyoun and the Houthi Rebels from Yemen, according to an official from an Iran-backed group in Lebanon. The so-called “axis of resistance” claim they are engaging in “unity of arenas strategy” and they will end their fighting only when Israel ends its offensive in Gaza against their ally, Hamas.

There is a “high probability” of a “multi-front war” occurring according to Eran Etzion, a former head of policy planning for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A possibility that seems even more likely with militant groups in the region staging attacks against Israel and its allies since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

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At the present moment, Lebanon has faced 400 casualties since clashes began on the border including 70 civilians with the vast majority being combatants. Israel has faced losses of 16 soldiers and 11 civilians with tens of thousands forced to move the conflict on both sides.

The New Arab and agencies