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 Iran,[1] a key patron of the group.
Established in 1995, the council operates under the direct supervision of Hezbollah's Secretary-General and is subordinate to Hezbollah's Shura Council.
The Jihad Council is involved in activities against Israel, including Unit 133, which conducts operations within Israeli territory and the Palestinian Authority, recruiting Palestinians living in Lebanon for military missions and gathering intelligence across Eastern Europe to carry out activities against Israeli targets.[2] The council's involvement underscores its strategic role in Hezbollah's activities against Israel and in the broader regional context.[3] [4] [5]
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 Badreddine, who succeeded him until he died in an explosion in May 2016. The leadership of the council remains unclear.
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. Positioned as a linchpin within Hezbollah's organizational framework, the council operates under the direct tutelage of the leader of Hezbollah, and operates as a subordinate entity to the Shura Council, the primary decision-making body within the organization.
Members of the Jihad Council include:
Past members:
The presence of Iranian representatives at the council's gatherings signifies the direct coordination between the Jihad Council and the Iranian regime, indicating the depth of the relationship and collaboration between the two entities.
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.
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.[14] [15]
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.[16] One of the unit's commanders, Hassan Muhammad al-Hajj, was killed in Syria in October 2015.
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.[17]
Possibly the most well-known of Hezbollah's special units, the 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.[18] [19] [20] 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.[21] The IDF has alleged that the unit was planning an invasion of northern Israel in the same vein of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[22]
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.[23]
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.
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.