Lebanon Hezbollah reeling from war's toll on militias and support base

Crowds of people gathered last week in the ruined town square of Aitaroun, south Lebanon, to attend the mass burial of 95 people – one of the largest funerals held in the country since the start of the Hezbollah-Israel war.

- William Christou

Hundreds of people waving Hezbollah flags watched as rows of coffins were brought in by four lorries, the procession of vehicles flanked by buildings destroyed during Israel's bombardment.

Thirteen months of fighting with Israel have left the Iran-backed Shia Islamist group, once renowned as the world's strongest non-state militia, reeling. Its near-total dominance of the Lebanese state for two decades has been weakened by losses it suffered in the past year.

The war started when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on 8 October 2023 “in solidarity” with Hamas after the 7 October attack on Israel. Fighting was concentrated near the boundary between Israel and Lebanon, until Israeli forces dramatically expanded their aerial campaign and invaded south Lebanon in late September, leaving more than 3,900 dead across the country and destroying dozens of frontier villages such as Aitaroun.

Most of Hezbollah's senior leaders were killed, along with thousands of its fighters, and many of its weapons caches were destroyed. But the damage has also been felt heavily by the communities that make up Hezbollah's support base.

In Aitaroun, residents were left wondering if their sacrifices had been worth it.