Hezbollah Believes It Lost Up To 4000 Fighters Killed, Far Surpassing 2006 War

Reuters has cited Hezbollah and Lebanese sources to say that Hezbollah believes the number of its fighters killed by Israel over the last year of fighting could be as high as 4,000.

A fragile ceasefire has held for the last three days, and the Shia group backed by Iran has been burying its dead this week. Ground fighting has been most intense in the last two months before the ceasefire was agreed to.

"The sources’ estimate far outstrips tallies published by the group, but skews close to Israel’s announced figure and could provide a window into the extent to which Israel was able to damage the powerful Iranian proxy, which saw its leadership largely decapitated and its rocket arsenal significantly depleted, according to authorities," Reuters says.

According to more, based on a source cited by Reuters, "the Iran-backed group may have lost up to 4,000 people — well over 10 times the number killed in its monthlong 2006 war with Israel."

Tens of thousands of Lebanese have been moving back into their southern villages and towns, some of which are in rubble and ruins. Bodies are still being searched for under the rubble.

The Lebanese army is also moving into southern districts in coordination with UN peacekeeping authorities, as part of the truce deal to monitor for potential ceasefire violations.

"The concerned military units are moving from several areas to the South Litani Sector, where they will be stationed in the locations designated for them," the Lebanese military said in its first statement following the truce going into effect.

Meanwhile, amid a war-weary and devastated Lebanese population, Hezbollah might be more unpopular then ever. The economy was already in tatters even long before Oct.7, 2023.

"Hezbollah’s claim of victory holds little weight outside its core constituency," Imad Salamey, a Middle Eastern politics professor and analyst at the Lebanese American University, has explained.

"The war was not widely popular among the Lebanese people, many of whom are more focused on the devastating economic losses inflicted during the conflict," he added.

Despite some positive indicators that the ceasefire will hold, including the cessation of daily rocket fire onto northern Israel, the conflict might not be over