March 12, 2026
Hezbollah — the Iranian-backed terror army based in Lebanon — is widely considered the most heavily armed non-state militant group in the world. Backed, funded, and trained by the Iranian regime, Hezbollah was created with a clear mission: to attack Israel and ultimately destroy the Jewish state.
Over the decades, the group has built a massive arsenal of rockets, missiles, and drones aimed at Israeli cities and infrastructure. Even after years of fighting and Israeli strikes, Hezbollah remains Israel’s most serious military threat on its northern border.
The Current Situation
The conflict escalated further in 2026 as Hezbollah joined the broader regional confrontation involving Iran. Hezbollah has launched large rocket barrages and drone attacks targeting Israeli towns and military bases in northern Israel, while Israel has responded with major airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure and leadership in Lebanon.
Israeli strikes have targeted dozens of Hezbollah positions and weapons sites in southern Lebanon and around Beirut. Israeli officials say many of these military assets are embedded inside civilian neighborhoods.
Israeli operations have also targeted senior Hezbollah and Iranian commanders involved in coordinating attacks against Israel. Among those killed was Abu Ali Riyan, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force responsible for coordinating operations and weapons supply in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces also killed Abu Dharr Mohammadi, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps missile commander who helped coordinate military cooperation between Iran and Hezbollah.
Israeli leaders warn that Hezbollah’s continued attacks risk expanding the conflict into a full-scale war on Israel’s northern front.
The current escalation follows years of fighting along Israel’s northern border. Hezbollah began attacking Israel the day after the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre, opening a second front from Lebanon and launching thousands of rockets, drones, and anti-tank missiles at Israeli communities. The attacks forced more than 60,000 Israelis to evacuate their homes, leaving many communities near the Lebanese border largely empty.
In the fall of 2024, after nearly a year of Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, Israel launched a large-scale air, ground, and naval campaign aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces away from the border and degrading the group’s military capabilities. The campaign included a series of covert and targeted operations — including the detonation of booby-trapped pagers and other communication devices used by Hezbollah operatives — that killed several militants and wounded thousands more.
On September 27, 2024, Israel assassinated Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group’s underground headquarters in Beirut, along with other senior Hezbollah and Iranian commanders.
A ceasefire brokered by the United States and other international mediators took effect on November 27, 2024, temporarily halting the fighting. However, Israel maintained a limited security presence in southern Lebanon and has continued to carry out strikes against Hezbollah targets in response to ceasefire violations and attempts by the group to rebuild its military infrastructure.
Hezbollah’s Rocket Arsenal
For decades, Hezbollah has built one of the largest rocket arsenals in the world with support from Iran.
Before the current war, Israeli intelligence estimated that Hezbollah possessed roughly 150,000 rockets and missiles — far more than Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad combined. These weapons included short-range rockets capable of striking northern Israel as well as longer-range missiles that can reach major population centers such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Years of Israeli strikes and sustained fighting have significantly reduced that stockpile. Today, it is believed Hezbollah may still possess roughly 20,000 rockets and missiles.
Even with reduced numbers, this arsenal allows Hezbollah to launch large barrages capable of striking Israeli cities and overwhelming missile defense systems. On March 11, Hezbollah, in coordination with Iran, launched over 200 rockets at northern Israel, injuring two Israelis.
Can Hezbollah Strike Anywhere in Israel?
Yes. Hezbollah possesses a wide range of rockets and missiles capable of reaching virtually every part of Israel.
Unlike Hamas, whose rockets are largely crude and unguided, Hezbollah also has more advanced weapons capable of striking targets at much longer ranges. Some of these systems are believed to include precision-guided missiles that use navigation systems to strike targets with far greater accuracy.
Israeli officials have warned for years that Iran has attempted to supply Hezbollah with guidance kits capable of converting ordinary rockets into precision weapons.
Even a limited number of precise strikes on strategic targets could threaten critical infrastructure, including power plants, airports, military bases, and major economic centers.
What Is Hezbollah’s Radwan Force?
One of the most dangerous components of Hezbollah’s military structure is its elite Radwan Force, a special unit trained for cross-border raids and offensive operations against Israel.
Radwan fighters are believed to train for missions such as infiltrating Israeli communities near the border, attacking military bases, and attempting to seize territory inside Israel during a larger conflict.
Before the current war, Israeli officials warned that Hezbollah planned to use Radwan forces to launch a large-scale ground assault into northern Israel if a full war broke out.
Israeli military operations have increasingly targeted Radwan commanders and infrastructure along the Lebanese border. Among those most recently killed was Abu Ali Riyan, a senior Radwan Force commander responsible for coordinating operations and weapons supply for the unit in southern Lebanon.
Israeli leaders say dismantling Hezbollah’s cross-border assault capabilities is a key goal of ongoing operations in Lebanon.
How Does Hezbollah Embed Its Weapons Among Civilians?
Hezbollah stores and launches many of its weapons from civilian areas across Lebanon.
Missile launchers, weapons depots, and command centers are often hidden inside residential neighborhoods, villages, and urban areas. Rockets are believed to be dispersed across Shi’ite communities in southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, and parts of Beirut.
This strategy makes it harder for Israel to target Hezbollah’s military infrastructure while placing Lebanese civilians directly in harm’s way.
What is Iran’s Role?
Hezbollah’s military capabilities are largely enabled by Iranian support.
Iran provides the group with funding, weapons, training, and intelligence support. Many of Hezbollah’s rockets and missiles originate in Iran or are built using Iranian technology.
Weapons are transported to Lebanon through regional smuggling networks that move arms from Iran through Iraq and Syria before reaching Hezbollah.
Over the past decade, Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes in Syria aimed at disrupting these weapons transfers and targeting Iranian forces involved in the smuggling network.
Israeli officials say Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plays a central role in coordinating Hezbollah’s military operations and helping expand the group’s missile capabilities.
Can Israel’s Missile Defenses Stop Hezbollah?
Israel operates one of the most advanced missile defense networks in the world, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow system. Israel’s Iron Beam laser defense system is also designed to help intercept Hezbollah rockets, but has yet become fully operational in the current conflict.
These defenses are highly effective at intercepting incoming rockets and missiles. However, Hezbollah’s strategy relies on firing large barrages designed to overwhelm missile defense systems.
Hezbollah is not just another terrorist group — it is Iran’s most powerful proxy army positioned directly on Israel’s northern border.
Even after years of fighting, the group still possesses thousands of rockets and missiles capable of striking Israeli cities, along with specialized units trained for cross-border attacks.
Combined with Iran’s continued support, Hezbollah remains one of the most dangerous threats to Israel’s security today.
