October 24, 2024
By Nasser Kandil
• Hezbollah’s presence in the military arena is no longer a subject of debate. What the battlefield reveals on both the ground and firepower fronts shows clearly that Hezbollah is demonstrating professional, courageous, and capable performance, excelling on the ground and establishing qualitative balance in terms of firepower.
• On the ground, every attempt at a breakthrough has failed, and all illusions of holding positions have crumbled. Hezbollah has succeeded in repelling assaults when needed, and in containing and then striking back whenever the occupier believed it had achieved progress. The resistance’s operations room report on the confrontations since the beginning of this comprehensive aggression – starting with the pager devices’ detonation on September 17 – provides a clear picture of what has transpired. The enemy has failed to control any of the frontline villages, even those it advanced into during the 2006 war, and its losses now rival those incurred in that entire war. Notably, we have now surpassed the 33rd day of this conflict, while the 2006 war itself lasted only 33 days.
• In terms of firepower, the occupier may dominate in destruction and killing. However, when assessing the balance of firepower in terms of range, precision, and sustained effectiveness, the resistance has succeeded in establishing a qualitative balance. Its missiles and drones have reached deep into Israeli territory, striking fortified positions and causing substantial damage. Importantly, Hezbollah has restrained itself from targeting civilian populations, focusing instead on displacement as a means to pressure Israel’s political and military leadership to halt the war and counter the settlers’ blind support for aggression, which was driven by the illusion of victory without paying a price. Parallel to this, the resistance has been careful not to provoke attacks on Beirut or Lebanon’s key state institutions by limiting its strikes on Israeli civilian infrastructure.
• If the military battlefield speaks for itself, then we don’t require explanations. As Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah once said, “The real news is what you see, not what you hear”, and we are now living this truth. However, in the political and media arenas, the situation has been different. Hezbollah, the resistance, and Lebanon have suffered the absence of a presence that once captivated the world and ensured full political and media coverage during past war – coverage that addressed the leadership of the enemy, the settlers, the resistance fighters, the popular support base, and Lebanon’s internal dynamics among both allies and adversaries. This presence shaped the narratives presented to international delegations and their political agendas. Yet suddenly, Hezbollah, the resistance, and Lebanon find themselves in the midst of the fiercest war without Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Shortly afterward, Hezbollah, the resistance, and Lebanon realised they would have to continue without Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, who many believed was capable of filling part of the void and maintaining some level of presence. Safieddine’s main responsibility was to manage the military field in Nasrallah’s absence – a heavy burden in an enormous void. Then came the appearances of Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, which brought reassurance, strength, and confidence to the people.
• The circumstances imposed by the war, and Hezbollah’s decision to restrict Sheikh Naim Qassem’s movements after losing both primary and secondary leaders, made it impossible to relax security measures. His absence would have been too great a loss to bear. However, this left the political and media arenas craving more engagement. What was needed was someone bold enough to enter the scene, appear publicly, explain, analyse, and answer questions, complementing Sheikh Naim Qassem’s role. This person would carry written directives from the party, adhere to them, and communicate them without improvisation, but speak with passion, spirit, and emotion, stirring similar feelings among the people.
The role was fulfilled by Hajj Mohammad Afif, who stood at a press conference in the martyr’s garden in the southern suburbs of Beirut. He demonstrated loyalty to the leader of the resistance and fulfilled the resistance’s duty toward its people, translating Hezbollah’s vision into positions brimming with life and vitality.
