The number of Hezbollah fighters killed in clashes with Israel has reached nearly 50 since the war on Gaza began on October 7. This figure is considered high given the security situation along the southern border, where clashes between the two sides remain limited. Images published of the party's fighters show that most of them belong to a new generation of combatants in their mid-twenties, thus they are experiencing their first military engagement and are not from the generation of fighters who participated in the Syrian battles.
Riyad Kahwaji, head of the Middle East and Gulf Analysis Center, told Asharq Al-Awsat: "It is clear that those falling in the confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel are young and lack combat experience," noting that "all those aged 23 and under did not participate in the Syrian war, assuming they began training at 18."
It is noticeable in the statements of mourning issued by Hezbollah that they have not announced the ages of the fighters, unlike in previous instances, such as during the July 2006 war. Political analyst Ali Amin points out that the experience of the fighters killed in battle is likely not extensive, emphasizing that the age of fighters in wars typically ranges from 18 to 25 years, meaning they are engaging in their first military experience.
This disparity in military capabilities was hinted at by Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah during a eulogy for one of the fighters, where he spoke of "a battle that cannot be measured against any confrontation we have fought in the past." He added that the party's members "fight from point zero sometimes against an enemy equipped with the most advanced American-enhanced weapons."
