The Israeli “Alma” Center for Studies and Research revealed what it described as a security and military strategy adopted by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, which is based on making field concessions of varying importance, while preserving, according to the center’s assessment, the military capabilities that the party considers the most sensitive and important.
According to a report issued by the Center specialized in security and military aspects in the Middle East, Hezbollah is adopting what it called a “ladder of systematic concessions,” in an attempt to respond to local and international pressures related to border arrangements and expanding the spread of the Lebanese army, without abandoning the basic military infrastructure, according to the report.
“Alma” believes that the party is dealing with developments south of the Litani River according to the logic of “risk management and strategic adaptation,” by avoiding a direct clash with the Lebanese army and giving it room to consolidate its points, allowing it to show progress in implementing field arrangements.
The report divided the military structure that it attributed to Hezbollah into 3 levels. The first level includes small sites, reconnaissance towers, and sub-logistical warehouses, which the center says the party can easily abandon in favor of the Lebanese army, without major operational losses.
As for the second level, according to the report, it includes tactical ammunition depots, short tunnels, launching pads, and maintenance headquarters, and “Alma” claims that the party is adopting the “unloading before delivery” tactic, by transporting weapons and sensitive equipment before leaving the sites.
The center places at the third level fortified command and control centers, networks of deep strategic tunnels, and stores of precision missiles and specialized systems, considering that they represent a “red line” and that they constitute the basic core of the party’s military capabilities.
The report concluded that what is happening in southern Lebanon, according to its reading, is a repositioning process based on abandoning less important sites in exchange for retaining the most sensitive capabilities, considering that the picture of underground military deployment is more complex than what the announced numbers and data reflect.
