October 21, 2024
By Nasser Kandil
• Just as Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s slogan, “Israel is weaker than a spider’s web”, became a defining statement following the liberation of southern Lebanon in 2000 – shaking the settlers’ confidence in the occupying entity’s ability to endure and its army’s capacity to protect them – the goal this time was to reverse that equation. The occupying entity, with American and Western support, aimed to erode confidence in the resistance’s strength by delivering a crippling blow to Hezbollah. This included the assassination of the Secretary-General and numerous senior field commanders, and inflicting heavy losses on its infrastructure and support base through strikes on communication systems, targeted raids in southern Lebanon, the Beqaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs. The message was clear: the resistance, not the occupying entity, was now the “spider’s web”.
• Undeniably, the leadership of the occupying entity succeeded, for two weeks, in restoring its settlers’ confidence in the strength of its army and intelligence services, temporarily dispelling the “spider’s web” curse. At the same time, many supporters of the resistance and its base began to question its ability to deliver on its promises of strength and resilience. This shift emboldened the entity to contemplate a ground operation it had long feared due to the prospect of failure. However, since the beginning of this month, the tides have turned. The Iranian strike dealt a severe blow to the occupying entity, exposing the fragility of its defence systems and the shortcomings of its intelligence apparatus. Meanwhile, the ongoing ground war has showcased the resistance’s strength and capabilities, as it quickly recovered from a blow that could have crippled entire states and armies. The resistance demonstrated unparalleled bravery, organisation, and power, continuously surprising with battlefield realities that highlight its superiority over the occupying army. This resurgence has restored the confidence of the resistance’s supporters and its environment, proving that it has not only fulfilled its promises but is also deserving of their trust. The resistance’s swift and impressive recovery, despite the severity of the strikes it endured, contrasts sharply with the declining confidence within the occupying entity, whose army has failed to secure victory over this resilient adversary.
• The intensity of the resistance’s missile strikes and drone attacks has sent a clear message: the resistance still holds a robust and extensive target bank, supported by significant and impactful intelligence capabilities. This has raised serious questions about the readiness of the occupying army, which seems to have exhausted its own target bank and demonstrated the limits of its intelligence superiority. Like in Gaza, the army has resorted to the destruction of homes and the killing of civilians as a desperate strategy.
• Today, the resistance excels in the battle of confidence, while the occupying entity is losing. The settlers’ trust, briefly restored, has once again eroded, and questions about the army’s ability to guarantee the entity’s security are mounting. Meanwhile, the confidence within the resistance’s base, as well as among the Lebanese and broader Arab communities, continues to grow – solidifying the view that this is an extraordinary force, nearly impossible to defeat.
• The perpetual question of victory and defeat starts and ends with confidence. The answer to who is losing this war lies in who most resembles the “spider’s web” equation.
