From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Saudi report estimates 4,000 Hezbollah fighters killed in war with Israel, another 2,000 deserted after Nasrallah’s death
Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent
Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reports, citing unnamed sources, that approximately 4,000 Hezbollah operatives, including fighters, commanders, and senior figures, were killed during the Lebanon-based terror group’s war with Israel, which ended in a ceasefire in November 2024.
On top of that, the report says around 2,000 others deserted following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September last year.
Despite these losses, the report claims Hezbollah still maintains a force of approximately 60,000 members.
The outlet also reports that 80% of the territory south of Lebanon’s Litani River — once under Hezbollah’s exclusive control — is now controlled by the Lebanese Armed Forces. The terms of the ceasefire require that Hezbollah maintain no control in that area.
It says Hezbollah has also shut down most of its training centers in the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon, and much of its medium and heavy-grade weaponry has either been destroyed by Israeli strikes or seized by the Lebanese army.
The Times of Israel Community.