Bassel Doueik on Hezbollah’s scaling of attacks against Israel

Bassel Doueik, Lebanon and Jordan Researcher at ACLED, said: 

“Hezbollah is a focal point of this wider conflict,  given that it has served as a proxy of Iran for more than three decades —acting as an external deterrent for the Islamic Republic from Lebanese territory—, and notably scaling its operations. The number of attacks against Israeli forces has increased significantly, with Hezbollah claiming dozens of attacks per day —at times reaching 50 to 80—, marking a clear shift from the 2024 war. 

“Israeli forces, in return, have reinforced the northern front, deploying elite units like the Golani Brigade alongside additional divisions. They have already entered and occupied several towns along the border, including villages like Taybeh, with advancing into Qantara. Fighting remains particularly fierce in Khiam, which is strategically critical: it sits near the border and overlooks routes connecting southern Lebanon to the interior, making it tactically valuable in any ground operation.

“Many Lebanese believe that Hezbollah is effectively sacrificing Lebanon’s stability to ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic.”