The situation along the Lebanon-Israel border has been escalating since early October, with almost daily exchanges of fire and hundreds of rockets and drones fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has stated that militant leaders from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and other countries have offered to send tens of thousands of fighters to help Hezbollah, but the group already has over 100,000 fighters. Some officials from Iran-backed groups say they will not stop fighting until Israel ends its offensive in Gaza against their ally, Hamas.
An official with an Iran-backed group in Iraq revealed that they will be “fighting shoulder to shoulder with Hezbollah” if an all-out war breaks out. Meanwhile, another official from Iraq stated that some advisers from Iraq are already in Lebanon, waiting for the signal to join the fight. Experts believe that if a war breaks out and lasts for a long period, Hezbollah might need support from outside Lebanon. Qassim Qassir, an expert on Hezbollah, agreed that the current fighting is mostly based on high technology, but if a war occurs, Hezbollah might need thousands of fighters to deploy.
Fighters Prepared to Join Hezbollah in Lebanon-Israel Conflict
Israel is also aware of the possible influx of foreign fighters. Eran Etzion, former head of policy planning for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that he sees a high probability of a “multi-front war” involving intervention by the Houthis and Iraqi militias, as well as a massive flow of jihadists from Afghanistan and Pakistan into Lebanon and Syria. Hezbollah officials have stated that they do not want an all-out war with Israel but are prepared to defend themselves if necessary.
“We have taken a decision that any expansion, no matter how limited it is, will be faced with an expansion that deters such a move and inflicts heavy Israeli losses,” said Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Kassem. The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along Lebanon’s southern border, Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, warned of the danger of miscalculation leading to a sudden and wider conflict. As thousands of fighters prepare to join the fight and Israel prepares to respond, the situation in the Middle East remains precarious.
