Senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs, Dr. Jacques Neria, told Kan Reshet Bet on Sunday that Hezbollah is actively rearming and preparing for renewed fighting with Israel. Neria cited recent smuggling of long-range missiles and Grad rockets from Syria, and a drone assembly workshop near Tripoli. He also noted a sharp political confrontation between Hezbollah and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who accused the organization of enabling Israeli control of Lebanese territory.
In a Sunday morning interview on Kan Reshet Bet, Dr. Jacques Neria — a former senior IDF intelligence officer and senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs — warned that Hezbollah is actively rearming and preparing for a renewed confrontation with Israel, even as the organization's political standing in Lebanon erodes.
According to Neria, recent weeks have seen Hezbollah attempts to smuggle long-range missiles and Grad rockets from Syria, as well as the operation of a drone assembly workshop near Tripoli. "It is absolutely clear that Hezbollah is preparing itself for renewed fighting against Israel," he said. The assessment comes amid ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which Neria said have not deterred the Iranian-backed terror group from rebuilding its military capabilities.
At the same time, Neria pointed to an unusual public confrontation between Hezbollah and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who accused the organization of enabling Israel to seize control of territory inside Lebanon. The prime minister called on Hezbollah to disarm. Despite the political pressure, Neria assessed that Hezbollah remains capable of imposing its will on the state, and internal tensions are only growing.
Neria also noted that Israel's current operational freedom is limited by American pressure. The big question, he said, is whether a US-led multinational force can provide the security needed for Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon. The analysis aligns with The Zioneer's topic page on Hezbollah, which details the group's deepening isolation as Lebanon's government and international partners push for disarmament.
What remains unclear is how Hezbollah's rearming efforts will translate into actual military capability in the near term, and whether the diplomatic track can withstand the internal Lebanese crisis.
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