With Operation Roaring Lion in Lebanon now over and a possible extension of the ceasefire next week, it appears that while Hezbollah's top ranks have lost many senior figures and field commanders in the military apparatus, the organization's leadership echelon has remained almost entirely untouched.
Despite threats from Israel's political leadership, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem survived the current round of fighting. So did Mohammad Raad, head of the organization's parliamentary faction and a figure considered to be the deputy secretary-general.
Another senior figure who made it through the current round alive is Mohammad Fneish, who serves as head of the Executive Council. He is effectively Hezbollah's "prime minister," responsible for the organization's "civilian" systems, including its economic, social and media networks. The post was previously held by Hashem Safieddine, the successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed shortly after him.
Other senior figures include Political Council head Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyid, Judicial Council head Mohammad Yazbek, Deputy Executive Council head Ali Daamoush, Coordination and Liaison Unit chief Hussein Abdullah, and 12 members of parliament. Abdullah replaced Wafiq Safa in the role, while Safa now serves as an aide to the head of the Political Council.
Very senior Hezbollah figures also survived within the military apparatus. Chief among them is Mohammad Haidar, a military adviser who effectively serves as Hezbollah's chief of staff. Abu Ali Rida, commander of the Badr regional unit that controls the area north of the Litani River, also survived the current round of fighting. His two counterparts in the Nasr and Aziz regional units south of the Litani were killed over the past two years.
Among the most senior figures the IDF killed was Hezbollah southern front commander Yusuf Ismail Hashem. He had replaced Ali Karaki, who was killed. He was previously responsible for the organization's activity in Iraq, where he assisted Shiite militias with advice and training before being called back to Lebanon.
In the days before the ceasefire, Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil sector commander, Ali Rida Abbas, was killed in southern Lebanon. He was the fourth commander of that sector to be killed since Operation Northern Arrows. In addition, dozens of field commanders in the organization were killed during Operation Eternal Darkness. Overall, the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency killed more than 1,800 Hezbollah terrorists in Operation Roaring Lion.
Even so, the terrorist organization still maintains a force of tens of thousands of operatives. According to a Lebanese researcher who spoke with Israel Hayom, that is the main reason the government in Beirut is reluctant to confront the group over disarming it. She said there are fears that such exchanges of fire could push the country into civil war, which Syria and Israel could exploit to seize territory from Lebanon. She also noted that, at present, the Lebanese army remains weaker than Hezbollah.
In that context, researchers at the Alma Center clarified as early as the beginning of April that "the Israeli assassination effort must be comprehensive, targeting both Hezbollah's political leadership and its military command and leadership ranks. It appears that the Israeli effort is focused on the military command and leadership echelon. This is a central and important component, and it has a significant impact on operational activity. However, in order to further weaken the 'State of Hezbollah,' a combined and parallel assassination effort must also be carried out against the political echelon."
