What is Hezbollah and How is It Organized?
© AP Photo / Mohammed Zaatari
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Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27. Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah's executive council, has been named as Nasrallah’s most likely successor.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that it has decapitated Hezbollah's chain of command, including Chief of Staff Fuad Shurk, Radwan Force commanders Ibrahim Aqil, Jawad al-Tawil and Abu-Hassan Samir, Southern Front commander Ali Karaki and his subordinates Sami Taleb Abdullar (Netzer Unit), Mohammed Nasser (Aziz Unit) and Abu Ali Reda (Badr Unit).
What is Hezbollah's Structure?
Hezbollah, a Shiite Lebanese movement, has both military and political wings. The group has a significant presence in the Lebanese parliament and government.
The organization is ruled by the secretary general, who oversees the seven-member Shura Council – the movement's central decision-making authority with five sub-councils responsible for Hezbollah's major activities.
Judicial Council, a court, is headed by Mohammad Yazbek
Political Council, responsible for political advice to Shura, is headed by Ibrahim al-Amine al-Sayyid
Executive Council, which coordinates Hezbollah's civilian activities including communications, education, health, economics and trade unions, is headed by Hashem Safieddine
Parliamentary Council, which oversees the group's parliamentary and political activities, is headed by Mohammad Raad
Jihad Council coordinates Hezbollah's military activities
28 September 2024, 13:33 GMT
Military Wing of Hezbollah
Reports say that Hezbollah’s guerillas number between 40,000 and 100,000. The group's military wing includes missile, naval, logistics, intelligence and counterintelligence units, air defense, missile defense and special forces:
the elite al-Hajj Radwan Force is a special operation forces unit
the External Security Organisation (ESO), widely known as Unit 910, is said to be the organization's clandestine intelligence wing
Hezbollah fighters parade in front of a replica of the Dome of the Rock Mosque during a rally to mark Jerusalem day, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 14, 2023. File photo.
© AP Photo / Hussein Malla
Social Institutions
Since the 1980s, Hezbollah has created a network of 15 charitable and social institutions. The main institutions are:
The Martyrs' Fund (Mu'assasat al-Shahid), which provides social support to the families of killed militants
"Civil defense centers", responsible for dealing with accidents and emergencies
"Jihad al-Bina" responsible for restoration of destroyed housing and infrastructure, as well as social housing and road repair
"Al-Imdad" — a social services charity
Hezbollah is active in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. Some reports claim there is evidence of Hezbollah operations in Africa, the Americas and Asia.
The Shiite movement emerged in 1975, during Lebanon’s civil war. It has fought against Israel over decades and provided support to the Palestinian resistance.
23 September 2024, 13:43 GMT
