BEIRUT – Internal sources within Hezbollah report that over 400 of the group’s militants have died since renewed hostilities with Israel began on March 2nd, according to two individuals with knowledge of the organization’s casualty counts who spoke with Reuters.
This marks the first comprehensive death toll released for Hezbollah combatants since Israel escalated its military operations in Lebanon through both aerial bombardments and ground forces. While the Lebanese militant organization has occasionally announced individual fighter deaths, it has not released official comprehensive casualty figures.
During the previous 2023-2024 conflict with Israel, Hezbollah regularly published daily death announcements for each fallen fighter and later confirmed that approximately 5,000 of its members had perished during that war.
Israeli military officials dispute the lower casualty count, claiming this week that their forces have eliminated at least 700 Hezbollah fighters throughout Lebanon, including numerous members of the group’s specialized Radwan Force unit.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported Friday that Israeli military strikes and ground operations have resulted in 1,142 deaths across Lebanon. The casualties include 122 children, 83 women, and 42 healthcare workers. The ministry does not separate civilian deaths from military casualties in its reporting.
Israeli forces also sustained casualties Friday, with military officials confirming that one soldier and one combat officer suffered serious injuries during overnight operations in Lebanon. The Israeli military previously acknowledged that four of its soldiers have died in combat operations in southern Lebanon.
