Jihad Council: Difference between revisions

The '''Jihad Council''' of [[Hezbollah]] is a council responsible for directing the groups' military and security activities. It also exercises considerable influence over the organization's various civilian branches and maintains ties with external partners, including the [[Iran|Iranian state]],<ref name=":02hezbollahorg">{{Cite web |title=Jihad Council {{!}} Hezbollah |url=https://hezbollah.org/people/jihad-council |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=hezbollah.org |language=en}}</ref> a [[Hezbollah–Iran relations|key patron]] of the group.<ref name=":32Council-on-Foreign-Relations" />

Established in 1995, the council operates under the direct supervision of Hezbollah's [[Secretary-General, [[Hassanof NasrallahHezbollah|Secretary-General]], and is subordinate to Hezbollah's Shura Council.<ref name=":02hezbollahorg" />

The Jihad Council is involved in activities against [[Israel]], including Unit 133, which conducts operations within Israeli territory and the [[Palestinian Authority]], recruiting [[Palestinians in Lebanon|Palestinians living in Lebanon]] for military missions and gathering intelligence across Eastern Europe to carry out activities against Israeli targets.<ref name=":02hezbollahorg" /><ref name=":42Is-Hezbollah-a-Terrorist-Organization">{{Cite web |title=Is Hezbollah a Terrorist Organization? |url=https://ict.org.il/UserFiles/Is%20Hezbollah%20a%20Terrorist%20Organization%20.pdf}}</ref> The council's involvement underscores its strategic role in Hezbollah's activities against Israel and in the broader regional context.<ref name=":12hezbollahorg-2">{{Cite web |title=Organizational Chart |url=https://hezbollah.org/organizational-chart |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=hezbollah.org |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":22Beeri-2023">{{Cite web |last=Beeri |first=Tal |date=2023-11-27 |title=Hezbollah's General Staff – The Jihad Council and its main subordinate units |url=https://israel-alma.org/2023/11/27/hezbollahs-general-staff-the-jihad-council-and-its-main-subordinate-units/ |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=Alma Research and Education Center |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":32Council-on-Foreign-Relations">{{Cite web |title=What Is Hezbollah? |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hezbollah |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=Council on Foreign Relations |language=en}}</ref>

The Hezbollah Jihad Council was established at the conclusion of Hezbollah's fourth conclave in July 1995. This was a strategic decision to consolidate the oversight of Hezbollah's military and security activities. Early members of the council included influential figures such as [[Imad Mughniyeh]], who served as head of the council until he was killed by a car bomb in February 2008, and [[Mustafa Badr al-DinBadreddine]], who succeeded him until he died in an explosion in May 2016. The leadership of the council remains unclear.<ref name=":32Council-on-Foreign-Relations" /><ref name=":42Is-Hezbollah-a-Terrorist-Organization" />

== Structure and responsibilities of the Jihad Council internally ==

The Jihad Council is composed of senior Hezbollah military figures and is responsible for supervising, coordinating, and determining new activities – both ongoing and specialized actions. The Council is also responsible for the actions of all civilian bodies under Hezbollah, particularly those related to military aspects or those that potentially intersect with them.<ref name=":12hezbollahorg-2" /> Positioned as a linchpin within Hezbollah's organizational framework, the council operates under the direct tutelage of [[Hassan Nasrallah|Hasan Nasrallah]], the leader of Hezbollah, and operates as a subordinate entity to the Shura Council, the primary decision-making body within the organization.<ref name=":22Beeri-2023" />

* [[TalalWafiq HamiyahSafa]], commanderhead of unit 910 Hezbollah's “External Security Organization” (ESO – Hezbollah'sLiaison foreignand operationsCoordination arm)Unit<ref name=":12hezbollahorg-2" />

Past members include:

The specialized units operating under Hezbollah's Jihad Council, including "Bader," "Aziz," "Haider," "Radwan," "al-Kayim," Unit 133, and Unit 3800, are integral components of the organization's military wing. These units are designed to fulfill precise roles within Hezbollah's strategy, often oriented around asymmetric warfare tactics.<ref name=":42Is-Hezbollah-a-Terrorist-Organization" />

The Bader unit is reported to specialize in advanced guerilla warfare tactics. It is reputed for its rigorous training and preparation for high-intensity conflict scenarios. Bader operatives are believed to be trained in the use of sophisticated weaponry and are prepared for direct engagements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beeri |first=Tal |date=2022-05-29 |title=Hezbollah's Jihad Council |url=https://israel-alma.org/2022/05/29/hezbollahs-jihad-council/ |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=Alma Research and Education Center |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0wwwalhurracom">{{Cite web |title=من وحدة بدر ونصر إلى عناصر الـ1600.. حزب الله يقسم لبنان إلى "بقع عسكرية" {{!}} الحرة |url=https://www.alhurra.com/lebanon/2020/11/16/%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%801600-%D8%AD%D8%B2%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9 |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=www.alhurra.com |language=ar}}</ref>

Named after a prominent figure in Hezbollah lore, the Aziz unit is often associated with special operations beyond Lebanon's borders. It is purported to carry out covert activities, including reconnaissance and intelligence collection in areas deemed of strategic importance to Hezbollah.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMRA - Saturday, December 2, 2023 Hezbollah's Radwan unit is capable of carrying out an invasion of the Galilee at any given moment |url=https://www.imra.org.il/story.php?id=74054 |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=www.imra.org.il}}</ref><ref name=":0wwwalhurracom" /> One of the unit's commanders, Hassan Muhammad al-Hajj, was killed in Syria in October 2015.<ref name=":1Beeri-2022" />

The Haider unit is reportedly a quick-reaction force capable of mobilizing rapidly in response to security incidents or battlefield developments. Its mandate includes counter-operations and rapid deployment to reinforce Hezbollah's positions or repel enemy advances. This unit operates around the city of [[Baalbeck]] and in northern [[Hermel]].<ref name=":1Beeri-2022">{{Cite web |last=Beeri |first=Tal |date=2022-05-29 |title=Hezbollah's Jihad Council |url=https://israel-alma.org/2022/05/29/hezbollahs-jihad-council/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=Alma Research and Education Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

Possibly the most well-known of Hezbollah's special units, the [[Redwan Force|Radwan unit]] is believed to be an elite force trained explicitly for cross-border raids and operations requiring precise execution. The Radwan unit has been attributed with the capability to infiltrate enemy territories for sabotage or capture operations.<ref name="AlmaRes5Jan23">{{cite web |last1=Beeri |first1=Tal |date=5 January 2023 |title=The Radwan Unit ("Radwan Force" - Unit 125) |url=https://israel-alma.org/2023/01/05/the-radwan-unit-radwan-force-unit-125/ |access-date=4 November 2023 |website=Alma Research and Education Center}}</ref><ref name="Ynetnews9Jun23">{{cite news |last1=Halabi |first1=Einav |date=9 June 2023 |title=Hezbollah's commando force emboldens Nasrallah to take on Israel |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/skmb7tk8h |access-date=4 November 2023 |website=Ynetnews |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gebeily |first=Maya |date=8 January 2024 |title=Israeli strike on Lebanon kills senior commander in elite Hezbollah unit |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-strike-lebanon-kills-senior-commander-elite-hezbollah-unit-security-2024-01-08/ |access-date=8 January 2024 |website=Reuters}}</ref> On September 20 2024, the Commander of the Radwan Unit at the time, Ibrahim Aqil, was eliminated by the [[Israeli Defence Forces]] alongside a dozen senior operatives of the group, in a strike where they were convening in the basement of a civilian building in south Beirut.<ref name="Aqil">{{cite web |date=21 September 2023 |title=Top Hezbollah commanders killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

The al-Kayim unit is often linked to logistics and support, providing essential services such as transportation, supply distribution, and the maintenance of communication lines during military engagements.<ref name=":1Beeri-2022" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-17 |title=Atentado a la Amia, 29° aniversario: Hezbollah, una maquinaria para matar {{!}} Política |url=https://www.lavoz.com.ar/politica/29-anos-del-atentado-a-la-amia-hezbollah-una-maquinaria-para-matar/ |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=La Voz del Interior |language=es}}</ref>

Unit 133 is purportedly designated for operations abroad, focusing on international missions that may include planning and executing attacks, establishing sleeper cells, and gathering intelligence in various countries.<ref name=":1Beeri-2022" />

Unit 3800 is allegedly responsible for coordinating and supporting pro-Iranian militias across the Middle East, particularly in conflict zones like Syria and Iraq. This unit is thought to be involved in the training and equipping of allied forces, sharing Hezbollah's expertise in guerilla warfare tactics and enhancing the capabilities of these proxies.<ref name=":1Beeri-2022" />